Creating impact in the spaces between.
Every interaction we facilitate is an opportunity for silliness to break down barriers.
We create real change through programmes rooted in playfulness, exploration, and curiosity. As an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, working closely with Lambeth Council and in research collaboration with Goldsmiths, University of London, we are developing the methods to measure the social benefit of playful work in public space. Our work has reached millions; the research is turning it into evidence.
Recent Highlights
Ran internships/work placements with Lambeth Elevate for 4 young people, nurturing transferable skills and employment pathways.
Developing smile counting with Goldsmiths University of London as a new “currency” for measuring social impact in public space.
We fly the Camerados flag with their blessing and their branding. Our Public Living Room at Marcus Lipton Centre built cohesion and dialogue between 250 local residents.
Delivered local community programmes creating pathways into work – Club Zed supported 8 local young people to develop programming/production skills, with routes into employment.
In Summer 2025, their robots & side shows reached 29,000+ people, sparking smiles and conversations across the UK (“from Glastonbury to Great Yarmouth”).
Without Walls commission Island Storm toured to 6 UK festivals in Summer 2024.
Built relationships with touring stakeholders (festival bookers, local authorities, developers/CCPs, heritage sites and international partners) to take work into varied public contexts.
Engaging with policymakers and innovation stakeholders (including DCMS) to explore applications of the work in policy and public realm contexts.
Seeking regulatory clarity from the Financial Conduct Authority on whether they can use “Bank” branding for the project (as written, the site implies this is in progress).
Touring and supporting the Fete of Britain — bringing play, speech-writing and smile counters to communities from Luton to Great Yarmouth.
Someone asked me how we measure what we do. I count the smiles. It was meant as a flip answer — and it turned into a five-year research project. FF — a fantastic fundraiser — put us in touch with the New Economics Foundation, who said a thing I haven’t been able to shake: anything can be a currency, even smiling. With research from Goldsmiths and a silly super team, we’re developing the Bank of Smiles. It’s the most powerful thing we’ve ever done.
We partner with councils and festivals to bring play into public space, with universities to measure what it does, with funders who back long-term civic work, and with policymakers putting play into the public realm brief.