We are delighted to announce that Toby Laurent Belson has been selected as the lead artist of our Walking as One Audio Commission project.
Following an open call, Toby will create an original sound piece in response to the public artwork, Walking as One, and mentor a small group of local people from North Kensington to develop their own creative contributions. Together, this collection of audio artworks will form an interpretation of, and companion to, the mosaic installation.
Walking as One was co-created by over 90 local people with the guidance of local artists and partners. The artwork consists of permanently installed mosaics that follow the route of the Grenfell Silent Walk. The installation depicts the word ‘Justice’ in the different community languages spoken in the Tower and includes the green heart synonymous with Grenfell and 72 gold flecks for each life lost.
The communal artwork was installed in 2022 to mark the fifth anniversary of the fire and commemorates the tragedy by documenting the Silent Walk and its significance to local and wider communities and the history of North Kensington.
Isabella Niven, Head of Social Practice, ACAVA said:
“I am delighted we will be working with Toby to realise our ambitions for the Walking as One Audio Commission. Toby brings extensive local knowledge and networks, along with the determination and sensitivity a commission like this demands. It is an exciting opportunity to bring together parallel strands of his creative and activist practices, to build a lasting legacy and bear witness to the unique creativity of the community’s response to the Grenfell tragedy. We are excited to work with Toby to recruit three local ‘Community Creatives’. They will learn and work alongside him to create their own contribution to the commission.”
About Toby Laurent Belson:
Tobias (Toby) Laurent Belson is a community-based artist whose practice includes a wide range of disciplines that enable individual participants’ efforts to be brought together into a larger whole. Since 2004 he has delivered group exhibitions, mosaics, public installations, school exhibits, magazines, screenprints, murals, workshops and radio shows, working with thousands of people. He has designed and painted a number of bridges in North Kensington with public art charity Urban Eye, as well as producing the odd piece of street art. Since 2017 he has led creative community responses for Grenfell, including Green for Grenfell illuminations and Notting Hill Carnival.
His creative leadership in North Kensington has supported the establishment of an annual arts festival, the ongoing transformation of Westway Trust, the development of a North Kensington Social Justice Archive, an accessible gallery and exhibition space, a community energy co-op and local garden spaces. His personal practice explores print, cut paper and digital collage, including his intricate ‘Samplism’ portrait practice.
