SOCIAL ACTION PROJECT
Teenage girls making public spaces, public again.
What united this group of young creative change-makers was their passion to make their public spaces safer for the whole community of Stratford. They were all fed-up of having to avoid particular subways, alleyways and streets because of the fear of experiencing violence, harassment and unwanted attention.
Through the girls extensive research they understood that their experiences were not in isolation and people just like them have experienced the same offences in their neighbourhoods and on their journey’s into school.
Pop Path is a creative social impact project designed by young people of Stratford for the people of Stratford and is a project on a mission to create walls that talk and educate the community about street harassment one alleyway at a time.
Themes
Public Safety, Public Spaces, Public Sexual Harassment, Gender Based Violence, Youth
Community Partners
Pentagram
Anomaly London
Makerversity
Plan UK
Sexplain
One of the reports the girls came across during the research stage which demonstrated that this issue entrenched into our wider society.
Excerpt from Street Harassment: It’s Not Okay Girls’ experiences and views - Jessica Southgate and Lucy Russell (Plan UK 2019)
DEFINING THE CHANGE WE NEED TO SEE
How might we create safer public spaces for women and girls, so that they feel respected on the streets?
Over 15 weeks, our young social impact designers set about to answer this question. After extensive research, ideation and experimenting with possible solutions they landed on an intervention to make their walk to school safer. With guidance and support form industry experts, their aim is to not only visually reimagine these spaces (which are often poorly designed) but to also educate the local community through campaigns, street events and leafleting as the creative install is taking place.
The girls wanted to take a multi-pronged approach to preventing, dealing and healing from Public Sexual Harassment and violence.
Developing a confident concept, proposal and pitch.
Typerventions
Creating meaningful messages with everyday objects. The girls created an installation in record time of 1 hour!
Printmaking
Creative challenge to create Pop Path logo using printmaking techniques.
Confident & Killing It
Confidence coach Tiwalola Ogunlesi takes the girls through a confidence development session.
A safe stroll is our goal
Concept
Through Pop Path, girls are setting a bold vision where they imagine a world where every street in every neighbourhood has your back and makes you feel respected. Using colourful installations as the vehicle for change, each alleyway, street or space will be transformed with pops of colour and raising awareness on street harassment.
By creating joyful murals and informative campaigns that bring a sense of pride, community as well as equipping members of the community with the information and practical tools of preventing, dealing and healing with the negative impacts, shame and stigma that is caused by Public Sexual Harassment. Pop Path is starting with a mural in Stratford but has big ambitions to make public spaces, public again!
Design your own Pop Path: To encourage their peers and local community to be involved in the project the girls designed a Pop Path template of the wall space down Whalebone Lane for people to submit their own thoughts and ideas on how the mural should look.
Pop Path Launch Event
The Pop Path team organised and hosted the launch of their initiative at Anomaly London. With a live audience of 50 people comprised of teachers, peers, friends, family and network the girls set out to gain support to bring the first Pop Path to the streets.
Beyond The Programme
Pitching Pop Path
Pitched Pop Path to Newham Council, to start the process of creating their first Mural on Whalebone Lane.
Due to the pandemic, creating the first Pop Path had to be put on pause, but now Sisterhood and the team are actively working on bringing this to life. If you can support the project in anyway, please get in touch.