Trustful Strangers Induce Fearless Walks by artist Harold Offeh has been commissioned by Great Western Developments as part of its ongoing commitment to delivering significant public artworks at Paddington Square, in partnership with The Showroom.
The billboard has been developed through a series of workshops and conversations between Offeh and a group of 25 young people aged 16–24 from Westminster and other London boroughs, all of whom have an ongoing relationship with The Showroom, the public art gallery located close to Paddington Square.
Funding from Great Western Developments enabled The Showroom to invite Offeh to work with participants from the gallery’s Imagining Futures programme, which creates unique opportunities for young people across London to connect with artists, develop creative skills and explore ideas through collaborative workshops, events and projects rooted in Westminster.
Through a process of gathering materials, collage, role-play and writing, the group explored ideas around public space and the importance of building communities that care for and look out for one another, fostering trust between strangers.
In generating the phrase Trustful Strangers Induce Fearless Walks, the group created a powerful statement that reflects their hopeful desire to increase empathy and mutual trust among anonymous passers-by as they encounter one another in London’s streets and public spaces.
The group’s interest in performance practices, alongside Offeh’s own work as a performance artist, has enabled the project to extend beyond the billboard’s physical boundaries. Audio content featuring spoken word, poetry, streams of consciousness, reflections and song will be accessible via a QR code on site.
The opportunity to work with Offeh has been made possible through Great Western Developments’ investment and has delivered significant benefits for participants. Collaborating with a leading contemporary artist and The Showroom team to create a highly visible public artwork has helped some participants secure part-time and permanent positions within commercial galleries and public art museums, supported university applications, and fostered new friendships and professional networks.
The project has also inspired a number of participant-led ‘satellite’ initiatives, including open-mic music performances, photography projects and independent exhibitions.
Audio
Fearless Walks by Chinenye Anyaegbu, Olajumoke Feyisetan, Nicole Gbadebo and Chizara William-Gauntlett
Aware by Daina Earlington
Morning Route by Taj Wilmot
Shadows by Taj Wilmot
Street Walk Monologue 1 by Ryan Andrade Teixeira
Street Walk Monologue 2 by Ryan Andrade Teixeira
