Save Brick Lane Campaign march. Photo by Sarah Ainslie

A seat at the table means nothing if the pen is still in someone else’s hand.

Community engagement are buzzwords flaunted by every regeneration project eager to win over their local authority, but how often do communities truly get to shape the spaces they live in?

Architects and planners organise workshops and consultations with local residents but more often than not the power imbalance remains the same. Decisions are still made behind closed doors, often by people who will never live with the outcomes.

Then again maybe this work is best left to professionals? Surely years of studying and a stack of degrees mean that those in charge of a development know better than those living in one? 

But what happens when professionals genuinely share control?

Join us for the next Accelerate Debate, an Open House Festival special at The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, where a line-up of bold thinkers will dig into the ethics, risks and rewards of sharing the power of design.

Time and Location

Saturday 20th September
5.30pm – 7.00pm

(doors open at 5.00pm)

Free Open House Festival special at Saint Bartholomew the Great

West Smithfield, London, England, EC1A

Guest Speakers

Tasnima Chowdhury – Community organiser and creative practitioner championing underrepresented voices in city-making

Abebaw Mesfin Meri –Director of AM Meri Architects, with over 25 years’ experience designing across London, his work centres on inclusive practice and meaningful community consultation.

Kuljeet Sibia – Founding Director of Diverse Dialogues, an urban consultancy focused on equity, social value and inclusive design.

Peter Sofoluke – Architect and Director at BPTW

This event is part of the Open House Festival, in association with The London Museum and St Bartholomew the Great.