Fore Street For All

Fore Street For All CIC is a community-led cultural programme aimed at fostering a night-time economy along the high street. The project was conceived in 2021 and is supported by the Mayor of London and the London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP). The project is a collaboration between community group Residents of Edmonton Angel Community Together (REACT), art organisation Hive and architects Fisher Cheng.

The aim is focused on boosting the night-time economy in Angel Edmonton. In January 2022 we were awarded a £200,000 grant from the Mayor of London as part of the ‘High Streets for All Challenge’ programme. This programme is funding for cultural, community projects in traditionally underfunded areas.

Venues to take part in our pilot event in December 2021 included Fore Street Library, Pages and Blendz Cafe, The White Horse Pub, Coal City Restaurant, and hair salon Boss Cuts. They played host to musical acts including an Afro-Colombian bullerengue group, a steel pan musician, and local DJ and artists, ceramicists and printmakers displayed their work and poets read their verse. The aim was to invigorate the local community and increase cultural and civic engagement on Fore Street.

Both Hive co-founders are now part of a CIC aimed at devising an inclusive cultural strategy to facilitate connections with key stakeholders and local businesses in the area, re-invigorating the high street by fostering a night time economy and developing a programme of monthly events.