A Great New Space Secured

Together with Croydon Enterprise we have been successful in securing a great new space for the Bigger Picture Project in Crystal Palace.

Thanks to the generosity of S G Smith Motor Group we are looking forward to transforming this space at the top of Anerley Hill into a vibrant creative venue.

Our aim is to draw attention to the space for S G Smith, revitalise this corner and provide a space for local creatives to use for exhibitions, workshops performances etc. This will bring new life to Anerley Hill and should attract the attention of all those drivers and passengers pulling up at the lights. The space is quite daunting, but also means it offers tremendous scope.

Launch Party

The Bigger Picture group would like to say a huge thank you to all who supported us on Saturday at the Bigger Picture Gallery opening.

We hope a great evening was enjoyed by all!

We certainly had a fabulous time, and felt really privileged that so many of you came to join in this inaugural event.

To see the photos of this event, please visit: the photo gallery.

Your feedback is very valuable. If you have any suggestions for future exhibitions/projects or would like to get involved please contact us. - Sat 06 June 09

Gallery Venue Now Secured

We have secured an excellent venue for our first gallery where three of our founding members Angelique Hartigan; Roy Peterson and Peter Spilsbury will hold the first exhibition. It will be all hands on deck to get the site ready for opening on Saturday 6th June.

Please get in touch; we’d love to hear from you! If you can help in any way, be it by opening late as a local business or simply by letting people know about this project we would be grateful for your support. We can achieve more in partnership with other people and organisations than on our own.

To date more than 28 local artists have expressed an interest in getting involved

As the recession bites the need for organisations and businesses to work together is becoming ever more vital. Join us at the Bigger Picture Gallery and take steps to help form lasting creative and commercially sustainable partnerships. Crystal Palace is our blank canvas!

Other ways to get involved with the Bigger Picture Gallery: Offer resources e.g. your time and other skills. Extend our reach and profile by promoting enterprise through joint events or branding.

There are also more general ways you can support The Bigger Picture Gallery: Sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this page. Spread the word - blog and Twitter about us.

Artists Working to Improve the Look and Feel of the Crystal Palace Triangle Shopping area

There are far too many closed and abandoned shops in our neighbourhood which discourage visitors, potential investors and inhibit forward progress. As the heart of our community, The Triangle is vitally important to us all and with your support this initiative will generate more interest in the area.

This will brighten up our High Street and stop the area from looking as though it has died and been abandoned. We are lucky to have a number of thriving businesses already and we want to build on what we have. We have surveyed business owners and local residents and received a favourable response.

We want to support all businesses in our community and make sure that we grow together

The Crystal Palace area is abundant with top notch artists of every sort. Not only current but past members of the community such as musician Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, opera singer Kitty Stephens (Katharine, Countess of Essex), designer & builder Sir Joseph Paxton, novelist Mrs Henry Wood, novelists Lady Diana Huddlestone, painter Camille Pissarro have thrived in the clear air of one of the highest areas in London. Our aim is to enhance the reputation of Crystal Palace for creativity, ingenuity and inventiveness. The 2012 Olympic Games will bring many new visitors. Let’s ensure everyone remembers this thriving, colourful area.

To really get the ball rolling we are now looking for fellow artists who would like to get involved in making this happen. If you are interested or know a local artist who may be interested in our project please contact us with a name, phone number, medium, what other skills they can bring to the project, an email address and website if they have one.

Check out these links to interesting articles about what happens when shops close down on the high street and what can be done

• Ghost high streets drain life from towns
• Artists' creative use of vacant shops brings life to desolate high streets