Table on the Marsh

Dining Table for Public Feasting on Walthamstow Marsh
Coppermill Fields, Walthamstow Marshes
OPENING FEAST: 17th October 2010 from 12pm

Table on the Marsh presents a permanent communal public dining space for visitors of Walthamstow Marshes. The table, built to accommodate twenty people at any one time, is designed by local architect Tabitha Pope, whose imaginative and sustainable proposal was selected following an open competition in the beginning of 2010 that saw over 50 proposals. The oak dining table will be richly carved with patterns carefully collected from local residents and will remain installed as a permanent structure. London’s green space is increasingly under threat as Councils threaten to sell off sections to developers and the Olympic legacy hangs in the balance.

Drawing on the East London tradition of street parties this project seeks to highlight the cultural importance of the city’s green spaces as sites central to our communities. They are not only sites for leisure, but also socialising and family time. The project aims to encourage creativity in public space and create connections amongst friends and strangers.

On the 17th October the table will be celebrated in a day of feasting.

Participants are asked to bring along a home-cooked dish to share with others. Events on the day include a walk and talk about local flora and fauna on the Marshes, workshops in printmaking and puppetry and music from local folk musicians Theo Bard and Louisa Jones and bluegrass from the Yellow Bellies.