A new arts organisation will help children celebrate their creativity with the installation of eight sculptures across Newham.

The Institute of Imagination (iOi) will bring together thousands of primary school children, from 14 different schools, to celebrate and explore their creativity through The Big Build.

The installation, led by Newham resident and Danish artist Anne Harild. uses modular cardboard designs from the Netherlands-based Collective Paper Aesthetics. Children will use the materials designed by Collective Paper Aesthetics for the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention to build shapes to explore their vision of Newham.

Harild said: “My favourite part of this project is that it’s so collaborative; just as lots of small individual cardboard pieces will come together to create some big spectacular sculptures, as will all the children’s ideas from the 14 different schools. The final works will hopefully be a representation of the imagination of Newham’s young people.”

The Big Build forms part of Newham’s 2021 Year of the Young Person, celebrating the achievements and contributions made by young people across the borough.

The large scale public art pieces will be seen in Westfield Stratford City, Queen’s Market, Thames Barrier Park, Beckton Globe Library and East Ham Library.

Co-directors of iOi, Tom Doust and Stephanie Dittmer, believe that The Big Build is an opportunity for children and families to reconnect with their imaginations.

They added: “We are delighted to be working with the Mayor of Newham on the Borough’s Year of the Young Person and to be contributing towards her vision to make Newham the best place for children and young people to thrive as they grow up.”

The charity runs a range of projects for children, from creating experimental future cities to aero dynamics. They also offer a digital lending service in libraries, providing families digital equipment to learn and create from home.

For more information about The Big Build and the Institute of Imagination visit www.ioi.london

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.