Millbank Stories

‘Millbank Stories’ is a collaborative project between Millbank Creative Works (MCW), a Millbank community based social enterprise, and students and staff of Design Research Studio 07 (DRS07), BA(Hons) Interior and Spatial Design (BAISD), Chelsea College of Arts.

‘Millbank Stories’ asked DRS07 students, as local actors, in collaboration with MCW and other local stakeholders, to develop a series of informal initiatives, exploring the role of art and design in place making and building networked, resilient communities. The work developed consists of two phases: collecting (local) stories, initiating dialogues with the spaces and people of Millbank, forming personal connections, talking to those experiencing the area first-hand; and sharing stories, retelling of these local stories to plot narratives of larger global issues through a ‘DRS07 Millbank Storytelling Procession’. The procession was constructed predominantly from locally found and sourced, recycled and up-cycled objects, and traveled around Millbank in November 2015.‘Millbank Stories’, was the first phase of establishing a long-term relationship towards a resilient, creative Millbank. It concluded, in January 2016, in the first joint exhibition between staff and students of the college and the local community, coinciding with Chelsea College of Arts 10 years at Millbank celebrations. For the exhibition, DRS07 exhibited the parade structures and video recordings of the event. MCW showcased artisan collages, from the Westminster Creative Upcycling Arts Collection, which includes work developed by creative local residents with support from Westminster City Council.