Thamesmead Cultural Infrastructure Plan

A home for culture in London’s New Town

Thamesmead’s Cultural Infrastructure Plan is the first localised cultural infrastructure plan in London. We Made That led a team to produce the plan and supporting evidence bases. The plan sets out Peabody’s commitment to creating a network of new cultural spaces as part of the long-term regeneration plans for Thamesmead.

The Cultural Infrastructure Plan will become Peabody’s blueprint for what cultural facilities should be secured and supported to create a culturally rich and vibrant place, with over 100,000 residents set to be living in the area by 2030. The plan covers why cultural infrastructure is needed in Thamesmead, what sort of infrastructure is needed, where action is required to deliver it and when this needs to take place to ensure it can be embedded into the 30-year regeneration programme in Thamesmead.

The Cultural Infrastructure Plan provides the opportunity to hard-wire culture into Thamesmead, by planning for culture in the same way as we plan for housing and transport. It puts artist housing on the agenda and focuses on both small and large cultural facilities, such as a new home for a community radio station and archive, to large-scale production facilities and a new waterfront arts centre.

It is supported with robust evidence on why these facilities should be provided, what local jobs they will provide, and a practical toolkit for how Peabody will deliver them.

Fly by Night at Greenwich+Docklands International Festival

“The recommendations in this plan will ensure that cultural venues and creative facilities continue to thrive as the area grows over the next twenty years. It will contribute to London remaining competitive and attracting the best creative talent and importantly, that all our citizens get to enjoy the very best culture we have to offer.”

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor, Culture and the Creative Industries

Cultural facilities (existing and forthcoming)

Areas for delivering objectives and priority actions

TACO! (the Thamesmead Arts and Culture Office) is a new artist-led project space

The plan sets out how delivering enhanced cultural infrastructure will facilitate making great culture part of everyday life, using it to celebrate Thamesmead’s identity and create confidence and excitement in the future, by:

Creating a network of cultural venues and facilities that are easy to reach, and which create jobs for local people;
Adapting empty or under-used spaces and buildings for cultural uses, including artists’ studios, pop- up shops, exhibition venues and cultural event locations; and
Making provision for culture and artists in master planning, green and blue infrastructure and development schemes.

The Cultural Infrastructure Plan steers towards delivery of these spaces, while anchoring clear ambitions into a wider London context and supporting partners to deliver the plan.

Beautiful Thing at Binsey Walk for Greenwich+Docklands International Festival 2018, Camilla Greenwell

“This work has shown us the effectiveness of culture in shaping and galvanising a place, and it has demonstrated that it delivers benefits across our local communities and beyond. Thamesmead now can – and must – play a leading role in affecting London’s cultural DNA.”

John Lewis, Executive Director, Peabody Thamesmead