Green Heart is a Partnership initiative between Arts Council England, East and the eleven local authorities of Hertfordshire that aims to achieve growth and capacity between the arts and environment sectors. It looks to effect social change through policy development and realise creatively led capital development through informed joined-up decision making.
Chris Hope, Chairman of GHP notes the partnership's achievements over the past five years
As we enter the last year of the current cross-authority agreement, it seems a good time to remind ourselves of what the Green Heart Partnership is all about and what we have achieved in the last five years.
Time may have flown since the initial steering group sat down seven years ago and ambitiously began to plan how we could use the arts to deliver against a cross-cutting agenda throughout the whole county. However, in that time our achievements as a county through Green Heart Partnership have been incredible [....]
We sometimes fail to recognise the significance of the work that is so closely connected to us, and here in Hertfordshire, maybe we have been slow to blow our own trumpets [...] So significant indeed is the collective achievement of all of us working in Hertfordshire local authorities that the United Nations Habitat programme has recommended that GHP apply for their international best practice award.
On Sunday 14 June, the local community in Radlett were invited to share their thoughts, knowledge and ideas and get involved in a project to develop a new community space at their local park- Phillimore Recreation Ground.
Superblue, the design team appointed by GHP to work with Hertsmere Borough Council, the police and Aldenham Parish Council, developed creative activities to trigger conversations and gather information from members of the community about these structures.
Using three temporary ‘hut’ structures, Superblue encouraged people to explore what the term ‘shelter’ meant to them, to think about the kinds of materials, textures and colours would best suit the environment and to talk about the kinds of ways in which they might use the spaces- for resting, sitting, meeting friends, eating, talking etc.
Similar community engagement events will be taking place in July at the other two Hertsmere sites where community spaces will be developed.
