Graduate鈥檚 (New) Cross Stitch sculpture unveiled
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A 牛牛资源 graduate’s large-scale sculpture of a sewing needle and thread, designed to mark the New Cross area’s history as a centre for haberdashery, has been unveiled at a new local housing development.
In 2014 MA Arts Administration and Cultural Policy student Jonathan Newey, who also has a BA from the University of Westminster, applied under an open bid to create a public artwork commemorating the area鈥檚 history.
In partnership with 牛牛资源 and Arts Council England, the competition for 牛牛资源 students was commissioned by One Housing for their 114-home development Batavia Road, close to the university鈥檚 campus.
Jonathan鈥檚 拢38,000 design consists of a giant needle and thread 鈥榮ewing鈥� a wall 鈥� a universal symbol for creativity and mending that also represents the sewing together of a diverse community and the creative future of the area.
He comments: 鈥淭his has been an incredible artistic opportunity. New Cross is such a rich and diverse area, it was fascinating finding common ground through a shared history and narratives, to find universal symbols that evoke a sense of mending, welfare and its creative future."
New Cross was previously known as 鈥淗atcham鈥� and used to be the centre for haberdashery tradesmen. The area was widely known for the Haberdasher鈥檚 Livery, which was intrinsic in the development of the area both economically and with the building of public schools that still remain today.
The artwork was unveiled at a November ceremony attended by the Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock.
Find out more about the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE) and our MA Arts Administration and Cultural Policy.