Activating under-used space through ‘meanwhile use’ or pop-up events gives a great boost to communities as well as attracting footfall and enhancing an area’s reputation. White Label has a track record of hosting transformative activities for civic spaces, and these have ranged from urban beaches to sports events, and from helter-skelters to art installations.
One of our largest pop-up projects was with Stanhope Schroders at East Croydon. We were given the brief of encouraging meanwhile use of a new broadwalk from East Croydon station through what would become Ruskin Square – a 2 million sq ft complex of offices, homes and shops. The team took on the challenge of creating a community events space out of a completely new walkway through a building site!
Over the course of 18 months, White Label worked with the client and local community and business groups to create The Platform@Ruskin Square through a mix of branding, events, promotion, PR and social media. On key event days and times, The Platform regularly attracted in excess of 200 people and became recognised as a popular local event and community space, receiving coverage in both Time Out and The Londonist.
Initiatives included:
Wimbledon Live: Over 200 local employees and commuters at a time enjoyed relaxing on branded chairs, watching live action footage on a giant screen and enjoying street food provided by local traders
Croydon on the Beach: A mini-beach was created for the summer season with entertainment which included Punch and Judy Shows, urban smoothie bikes, a Rollapaluza corporate cycle challenge, and the installation of a BMX Trials track.
Weekly Pop-Up World Food Lunch Markets, including live music entertainment.
Putt Putt#2: An exhibition of newly commissioned artwork that took the form of a crazy golf course.
Croydon Spotlight: Performers encouraged and commissioned to entertain at the site following a social media campaign to engage and identify the best local talent.
Themed events around Hallowe’en, Christmas, St George’s Day, Chinese New Year, etc.
Shortly before COVID, White Label worked in partnership with local arts experts to deliver a landmark cultural event across Croydon town centre – Warhol in Croydon.
The central element was the installation of 12 large-scale homages to Andy Warhol by high-profile, contemporary urban artists. The works formed a trail around the town centre that could be conducted independently, via the Warhol App with voiceovers, or on a guided tour. White Label oversaw the entire project which attracted thousands of visitors to the town– raising private sector sponsorship, managing the installations, PR and marketing, designing all materials including the tour maps, building the website and managing the launch event.
Meanwhile events, while temporary, can be as high-quality and high-profile as any permanent installation yet their shorter-lived nature means they won’t become dated. They are a great investment for landowners, making commercial and social use of space that would simply be sitting empty or might potentially become a blight on a streetscape. And they are fun, they attract many visitors, meaning you have a real opportunity to engage and attract the local community to your area and showcase what you have to offer.
If you would like support with transforming your empty spaces, contact Natasha Miller, Head of Events, on 07741 659615 or nmiller@wlcreative.org.uk
