6th September 2019

Placemaking with soul

The city is rife with brands and developers aiming to art-wash their way into our communities, often with little regard for the people their projects are displacing. So when you see someone doing it right, it’s such a breath of fresh air. Vickie Hayward is one of these people. Modestly lurking behind the scenes of some of the capital’s most inspiring and inclusive cultural programmes, Vickie brings artists, designers, musicians and other fun-makers into environments, transforming a stretch of land into somewhere where you actually want to hang out.

This could take the shape of important exhibitions (think Modern Design Review and James Shaw’s PlasticScene show last LDF), inviting cultural pioneers from overseas to takeover and teach (Japanese indigo specialists BUAISOU during London Craft Week) or finding new models to involve neighbours and give them ownership over their city (read more about STORE store below).

Given you probably won’t see Vickie’s name up in lights, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate her enormous contribution to making design such an important part of Coal Drops Yard and well as quizzing her about how she makes it all happen. Here she is in her own words...

PlasticScene at Gasholders. Image by Peter Guenzel

We think you have a dream job! How did you first get into cultural programming (you were a blacksmith, is that right?), how have the projects you’ve taken on evolved as your career has progressed, and what does it involve at the moment?

Haha! It has its moments. Events are the family business. What I learnt in those early experiences working with my dad, the ultimate lateral thinker, still applies to every project I work on. It feels like I’ve always been doing it.

I did also train as a blacksmith and silversmith, whilst working for a set builder and doing other totally random internships, like leather moulding!?! What it meant is at the end of my education I was fully set up to become a true master of nothing. That did however work out very well for a career in programming, because you know what you want to do, you know enough to think about all the possible pathways to achieve that end result, but are not skilled enough to do it yourself. After studying, I was very lucky in that Nick and Tereasa (Co-Founders of JaguarShoes) took a chance on me, offering me the space (and salary) to pick and produce projects. I feel particularly fortunate when I think that at that time there were hardly any commercial places really focusing on anything cross-cultural in terms or programming and experiential marketing. I ended up staying at JaguarShoes for 10 years, because at that time it felt to me like the only place I could do what I wanted to do. This landscape has obviously changed quite dramatically in the last decade. The evolution for me has been the increasing scale of projects, going from installations in bars to programming civic spaces. The principles remain the same though.

What does ‘place’ mean to you and how does design/designers fit into that?

Well, my website has a dictionary definition on it ‘a portion of space with intention’. In my head there are layers of intention that run in tandem, the physical intention – this place is a restaurant or bar or shop or city square. And the emotional intention – this is how this place makes me feel. Both of these layers are largely delivered by the service and design.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside Loren Daye (Principal at Studio LOVEISENOUGH) during my years at Ace Hotel. That experience really changed the way I think about space and place. Loren is someone that is able to create a space that is extremely detailed and layered, which simultaneously makes people feel totally relaxed and at home. It feels a bit like magic to me, because I don’t know how it’s done. As a programmer it’s incredible to have something with that level of detail and care put into it as your starting point.

Coal Drops Yard launch party

Building community around retail spaces seems to be an increasingly prominent idea in the last decade. Why has it taken hold in the past few years and why do you think it is important?

Places need people, it’s definitely commercially driven. You no longer have to be somewhere physically to get what you need, so businesses need to provide additional reasons to turn up. It’s another way to capture attention in an increasingly crowded marketing space. But I am hopeful that this has a happy side effect, people also need people, and in such divided times getting humans physically together is important.

How do you meaningfully engage local people in placemaking projects in a way that is sensitive to the issues caused by gentrification?

The truth is, I can’t provide a simple answer to that and I’m still very much learning as I go. Every situation is different and in all cases there is also a huge amount of work put in before what I do even begins, that I can’t speak to in any way. I'm lucky to have learnt a lot from working in New Orleans with Sonali Fernando (Cultural Engineer at Ace Hotel NOLA), as she is someone who is able to see the exact intersection where commerce and creativity can meet in a way that works for everyone.

Programming adds a layer to placemaking that has the potential to be widely inclusive and invite people together. If you can use that, alongside other means, to build relationships, opportunities and trust with local people, a sense of ownership and community should follow.

The key is to minimise barriers to entry, offer what you have and don’t expect anything in return. Be grateful for those that choose to engage with what you do, they are giving you their time and energy. Listen to what people have to say, even if it’s not what you want to hear. Especially when they were there before you. Be aware that it will be a long process, and that it will have to change and evolve continuously.

Indigo dyeing by BUAISOU

Tell us more about the challenges and opportunities of Coal Drops Yard, and how you have developed a community around the site? How has design been involved? How have events like London Craft Week played a role?

I think for anyone that does programming, going into new spaces is challenging. You can plan projects as much as you want in advance, but half of those plans get thrown out once you start actually operating in a space, and see how people naturally like to use it. It’s a hard but necessary learning curve; I suppose it's also the part I really enjoy.

Again, I am lucky to have such an incredible setting in which to work. Coal Drops Yard is home to some seriously thoughtful brands as well as dramatic architecture. Therefore, it seems natural to make design-led projects part of the programme, and I have lots of wonderful co-conspirators like Laura Houseley (Editor-in-chief of Modern Design Review/MDR Gallery).

One of my favourite projects that is starting to build a real community around it is STORE store, a small but perfectly formed design school run by a group of architects and designers. During the week they run an after-school club for local state school students, in which the students design and create products that are then sold in the shop. The students can choose whether to put the profit back into the project or keep it for themselves. The processes that they are using are pretty radical, as they bring in people like Tessa Silva, Silo Studio and Jochen Holz. The work definitely doesn’t look like your average student project. And wouldn’t it be great if one of the students ended up with a store in Coal Drops Yard one day?

Hot Wire Extension Hangers by STORE Store. Image by Paul Plews

Can you tell us a little bit more about some of the other projects you’re working on right now, Cultureplex in Manchester for example?

Cultureplex! It’s so exciting and working with Pablo Flack and David Waddington (Bistrotheque & Hoi Polloi) is always a totally brilliant experience, because they support total creative freedom. For this project, I’m more there to setup the systems and structure, which I hope supports that freedom. The creative direction has to be done locally, it doesn’t work if you transplant it in. So I also get to work with my Manchester counterpoint, Katie Popperwell, who has been brought on to head up the creative programming.

I love working on projects in other cities, because you get to learn about the place and people in a way you never could as a visitor. I feel we miss out on a lot living in London, as more often than not we’re only exposed to talent that has chosen to live here.

What advice would you give brands and companies that want to plan creative or cultural events?

Invest in the systems and infrastructure first, if you have that in place you can put structure around your own team and the creatives you choose to work with, which supports them and gives all the freedom to push into more interesting and original places. I’ve always consciously tried to never copy anyone’s creative, but when I see an amazing spreadsheet, form or system, I will take it.

To stay updated on what Vickie's planning next, follow Company, Place.

PlasticScene at Gasholders. Image by Peter Guenzel