Eight flags celebrating the “treasures” of Walthamstow High Street are now on display
A community arts project has created flags celebrating the “treasures” of Walthamstow High Street, based on interviews with Walthamstow Market traders.
The project was led by artist Alisa Ruzavina, who co-designed flags for eight treasures with the help of community groups, and produced by arts organisation Artillery CIC.
The flags are a companion to the Walthamstow Griffin, a “guardian” of the High Street created by sculptor Sandie M Sutton, that now hangs above the corner of Carisbrooke Road.
Groups that got involved include students at Waltham Forest College, the borough’s Antigua, Barbuda and Dominica Twinning Association and members of the borough’s pay-what-you-feel community cafe The Gleaners.
Alisa Ruzavina told the Echo: “The idea is the Griffin is a symbol of protection and my part of the project is about what those treasures are.
“All the fabrics for the designs have been sourced from the amazing range of fabric shops that can be found along the High Street.”
The eight flags represent the treasures of public space; creativity and DIY; the market itself; visions of the future; past heritage; food; multiculturalism and women-led businesses, of which Alisa notes there are unfortunately “not many” in the High Street.
She added that one of her favourite moments from the project was showing a flag designed by Waltham Forest College students, which celebrates the area’s public transport, to local Transport for London workers.
She said: “They were so happy because they said nobody ever comes to them with good things to say, they only ever get shouted at. The fact students designed it; they were really overjoyed.”
All eight flags are currently on display at 1B Window Gallery in Coppermill Lane but will be available in future as decoration for local events.
Flags of Our High Street Treasures was funded by the Mayor of London as part of the “Untold Stories” project, with additional support from Waltham Forest Council.
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