A vibrant celebration of young creativity and the natural world has transformed Southside Shopping Centre as Our Beautiful Neighbourhood goes on public display this month.
Commissioned by Wandsworth Council in partnership with the Royal College of Art, the exhibition forms part of the Welcome to Wandsworth schools programme for The Mayor’s London Borough of Culture 2025. It showcases the creativity of pupils aged 9 – 13 from schools across the borough in a powerful exploration of biodiversity, place and wellbeing.
Our Beautiful Neighbourhood is the culmination of a visual arts project engaging more than 1,300 children from over 50 primary, secondary, SEN and healthcare settings across Wandsworth. The project has been devised and led by two lead artists, Vanessa Rolf and Hannah Coulson, who worked alongside a team of workshop leaders to deliver sessions in which pupils explored local habitats and discovered the plants, animals and insects that can be found within Wandsworth.
Through imaginative drawing and collage workshops, children developed their observational skills while reflecting on their connection to nature. Their original artworks have been photographed and transformed into large-scale, colourful banners, creating a striking public display that highlights the borough’s diverse ecosystems.
Focusing on the themes of biodiversity and place, the exhibition shines a light on how connecting with nature can support and improve mental health and wellbeing. By bringing these works into a public space, the exhibition invites the wider community to celebrate young people’s creativity and reflect on the beauty of their shared surroundings.
Visitors are also invited to take part in free drop-in collage workshops at Southside Shopping Centre on 14th and 15th March, 11am–1pm and 2pm–4pm. These hands-on sessions will offer families and visitors the chance to create their own nature-inspired artworks as part of the exhibition’s community celebrations.
Shannon Reed, Centre Director at Southside Shopping Centre, said: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome Our Beautiful Neighbourhood to Southside. This exhibition is a wonderful celebration of the creativity and imagination of young people across Wandsworth, and it’s fantastic to see their work showcased in the heart of the community.
“As a shopping centre, we’re committed to supporting local artists and providing opportunities to display their work in a space where thousands of people can experience and enjoy it. Seeing these vibrant, nature-inspired artworks displayed here not only celebrates the talent of the next generation, but also reinforces the importance of community, connection and creativity.”
Our Beautiful Neighbourhood exhibition is free to attend and will be on display at Southside Shopping Centre until 23rd March. The exhibition is one of five public exhibitions presented across the borough, including Battersea Power Station, Putney Exchange, Tooting Market and Wandsworth Town Hall.
To find out more about the Our Beautiful Neighbourhood exhibition, please visit https://welcometowandsworth.com/. For more information about Southside, please visit https://southsidewandsworth.com/
