Last month, a brand new series of Frida Kahlo-inspired murals landed in Bankside, creating an ‘only in Bankside’ experience and giving Londoners another reason to visit this unique and special neighbourhood.
A collaboration between Better Bankside and Bankside’s “local gallery,” Tate Modern, the mural series coincide with the major exhibition, Frida: The Making of an Icon. Created by emerging artists under the age of 25, the project sees art escape the gallery walls and spill into Bankside’s streets, Victorian railway arches and public spaces, encouraging exploration and discovery throughout London’s other side.
Bankside has been a place people have come to experience culture for over 1,000 years. Today it is home to some of the most creative enterprises on the planet as well as major cultural institutions.
Better Bankside is a one of London’s longest established Business Improvement Districts with a vision for a stronger, greener, happier Bankside. Better Bankside has a track record of delivering cultural experiences and layering the Bankside neighbourhood with public art. This latest creative intervention will serve Better Bankside’s ambition to amplify Bankside’s distinct identity to attract investment, talent and visitors.
Of the initiative and Better Bankside’s wider strategy, CEO Nicole Gordon said;
“A big part of why people love Bankside, are proud to live and work here and keep coming back, is because it is different to other parts of London and other city districts. Rich in art, food and industry, Bankside is London’s home of otherness.
The layering of public art celebrates Bankside’s unique creative energy. It makes Bankside stand apart and sparks joy as you explore the neighbourhood.”
For Bankside, creativity, culture and commercial success have always gone hand in hand. Between the 12th and 16th centuries, Bankside became a haven for theatres, bear-baiting and taverns, thanks to falling outside the City of London’s strict jurisdiction. It was this spirit, unique to the wider London area, which drove visitors and trade to the area.
Around the turn of the millenium, Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe arrived, two renowned arts institutions which accelerated major urban transformation. The area changed from an industrial heartland to a must-visit tourist destination, and a location that today attracts a huge range of business sectors, from professional services and media, to tech, property, culture and hospitality. But for all its reinvention, Bankside has never lost its creative and rebellious identity.
This identity as “London’s Other Side” is credited as an attractor for businesses and talent, according to Mark Fisher, Managing Partner at commercial property agent USP.
“Bankside has always had a rebellious side to it, and this remains a distinct traction for many of the companies choosing to locate here who appreciate the free-thinking approach. A big part of its attractiveness to businesses lies in its identity and point of difference.”
By 2030, approximately £4 billion of investment will deliver 10 million square feet of new development in the area, bringing in new workplaces, homes, cultural venues and leisure destinations.
Better Bankside was one of London’s first Business Improvement Districts, and Tate Modern was a founding partner. At that time, business leaders knew they needed to come together to shape a shared vision for the area’s future so change was welcomed while protecting Bankside’s distinctive character. Donald Hyslop, Chair of Better Bankside and then Tate Modern’s Director of Regeneration and Community Partnerships, was closely involved in the partnership which has now been putting the better in Bankside for 21 years. He said
“We are entering a new chapter for BIDs where they develop stronger links between business and culture. BIDs have the ability to make critical placemaking activations work, connecting culture and communities in public space.”
For Better Bankside, urban art protects and expresses the neigbourhood’s character as it evolves, supporting the continued resilience of the area.
