From Ilford to the World and Back Again

The Child Friendly Partnership is excited to be supporting Andrew Brown, a local artist and educator to help shape the future of public art in Ilford and compile stories through the camera lens.

Andrew Brown is based at SPACE Studios in Ilford and has been involved with schools, further and higher education locally, nationally and internationally. He uses analogue, digital and alternative photographic processes alongside soundscapes, documents and artefacts to explore the impact on communities of rapid changes in the built and natural environment in East London.


Ilford has a strong and historic relationship with innovation in photography. In 1879, Ilford Limited, a world-renowned brand of film and photographic materials, was founded. This factory on Roden Street was demolished in 1976 (now Sainsbury’s), breaking the visual link between photography and Ilford as a place was broken.


Andrew, on behalf of UP Projects will be running workshops to help influence public art at this former site. A proposal to redevelop the site with new housing, public realm and the reprovision of the Sainsbury’s will need to understand the views of local people. The workshops will be an opportunity to influence the kinds of public art to be planned for the site with themes rooted in Ilford’s history of invention.

How to get involved?

There are 3 upcoming workshops, which will explore how public art can draw on Ilford's history to engage with diverse communities, renew links to the past and help envision and shape the future.

You will be able to explore Ilford’s role in the popularisation of photography using images and artefacts, including cameras and media from different periods of history. You will learn about analogue photography and the process behind making photographic prints. If you have any black and white photographs, please do bring them along!


Sat 2 April

11AM-3PM

Redbridge Central Library

Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1EA – Gloucester Room

Open Workshop Day – All Welcome (registration optional)


  • 4 interactive stations of activity


  • Andrew + University of East London Students will introduce you the camera obscura and historic photographic processes, set up a pop-up photography studio for you to use and explore Ilford’s unique place in the history of photography.


  • Video tour of the former Ilford Limited site will be on rotation (all are welcome to share their stories about Ilford, whether they have a connection to the site or not)

Tues 5 April

10AM-3PM

SPACE studios

10 Oakfield Road, Ilford IG1 1ZJ

Cultural Industries Workshop – for any professional working in the arts (registration required)

  • Dive into the archive looking at contemporary images, documents, maps, cameras, film and other media
  • Options to walk to the former Ilford Limited site to take photographs of the area (cameras will be provided)


  • A mix of learning about different camera technologies, hands on application of photographic techniques and group discussions, leading to producing your own prints which participants can keep afterwards

Wed 6 April

2AM-5PM

Redbridge Central Library

Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1EA – Gloucester Room

Young People Workshop – Ages 14 – 22 (registration required)

  • Investigating the archive of contemporary images, documents, maps, cameras, film and other media.


  • Options to walk to the former Ilford Limited site to take photographs of the area (cameras will be provided)


  • A mix of learning about different camera technologies, hands on application of photographic techniques and group discussions, leading to producing your own prints which participants can keep afterwards


Follow this link to register for workshops 2 and 3: From Ilford to the World and Back Again Tickets, London | Eventbrite



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