Arts Programme and Cultural Development

Public Art in Barking and Dagenham

Wishing on a star

Artist Anita Rivera was commissioned to work with young people on Scrattons Farm Estate over 5 weeks of the summer holidays in 2002.

In arts workshops, the young people designed images representative of their local environment and wrote personal narratives and wishes relating to the past, present and future of Scrattons Farm Estate.

The artist then took the young people's work and etched them onto stainless steel inserts, which were embedded into star shaped terrazzo. The stars were positioned in a circular walkway around the small green space at the end of the parade of shops at Julia Gardens, Scrattons Farm.

The stars were in response to the Hollywood star plaques that famous people achieve and a tongue in cheek reference to the history of the Estate which was once considered to be the Hollywood of the borough as it was apparently the first to have modern day facilities, such as heating, fitted kitchens and indoor bathroom facilities as standard.

Wishing on a Star was funded through the government's Behavioural Improvement Programme, which aims to provide summer learning opportunities for young people from hard to reach groups.

Scrattons Farm Visual Arts Project|

Scrattons Farm Visual Arts Project