Building Sounds

LFA on-location: how community power and collaboration are shaping Barnet

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Episode notes

How can we harness culture and community power as tools for connection across a borough? Barnet is one of London's largest boroughs, but existing public transport links can make cross-borough connection difficult. Join Sophie Roberts (LFA Senior Programme Manager), Synthia Griffin (Arts and Culture Manager, London Borough of Barnet) and Becky Lyon (Barnet-based Artist and Researcher) to discuss how the council has been harnessing arts and culture initiatives to improve east-west connectivity and build a unified cultural identity. From empowering local creatives with micro grants to fostering consortium working and innovative partnerships, this episode explore's the borough's journey to becoming a cultural hub. To find out more about the London Festival of Architecture in Barnet, head to lfa.london/barnet. You can find out more about Barnet Council here and Becky Lyon's work here. To explore the whole LFA2024 programme, head to lfa.london. This episode was produced and edited by Katya Spiers. You can find a transcript of the conversation below. Download the transcript Timestamps 01:50 Introduction to Synthia and culture in Barnet 05:39 Introduction to Becky and Barnet art scene 07:25 Importance of widening access to arts 09:23 Collaboration with community groups 19:49 Testing ideas in the public realm 31:55 Aspirations and next steps Image: Copthall Pavilion, LFA2024 © Luke O'Donovan Image description: Three children writing on a dark pavilion wall their ideas about the future of the space