Bounce Back painters and decorators renovation of Shoreditch Town Hall

Shoreditch Town Hall project helping ex-offenders into work

Shoreditch Town Hall Trust is an arts and education charity based in Shoreditch Town Hall. In addition to looking after and developing this unique historic building, its work includes letting out and using the different spaces for a wide range of purposes.

The Hall is gradually becoming a major arts and creative venue, for everyone in Shoreditch, London and beyond. There is nothing else this size in this part of London that can be used in this way.

Originally opened in 1865 Shoreditch Town Hall was for over 100 years one of the grandest Vestry Halls in London, and occupies an enormous 46,500 square feet. This makes it easily the largest exiting space of its kind to become an arts and community centre in a generation.

It has great historical significance today, being the last remaining of what were once six large capacity (800 seats or above) music hall theatres in Shoreditch, the epicentre of ‘the Saturday Populars’ – mixed bill variety shows.   When this renovation period is complete it will be the first time it has had seats.

This re-decorating, which can be run over the next year is hugely significant and it will be the first time the building has been painted since the 1970s

Developing the new colour scheme

In early 2014 the Trust commissioned an in-depth analysis of previous colour schemes. Samples were taken from over 50 locations around the Assembly Hall, and these were polished and examined under a microscope in order to discover previous colour schemes.

It became clear that the historically all the schemes were more muted and subtle than the current one, often including grey’s and sage greens, picking up on and complimenting the colours in the Italian marble panels that line the room.

With this new scheme we are taking it back in that direction, creating a more harmonious scheme that will, nonetheless, allow the ornamental gold mouldings to stand out.  

Introduction to Bounce Back

Bounce Back trains people both in and out of prison and gives them the qualifications to become professional painters and decorators.  When they have completed their training they join the Bounce Back Social Enterprise to continue to develop their careers. 

Unique opportunity

This project is a unique opportunity for Bounce Back to give their painters and decorators a highly aspirational job that will require them to hone their skills and add to their employability. 

It will require approximately 25 decorators and it will be done alongside a number of additional professional painters and decorators who will help to give additional training to the Bounce Back teams on site and who will also train volunteers and other groups during the duration of the job.

Owing to the size of the project, it also presents an opportunity for Bounce Back to invite other ex-offender organisations and local community groups to work alongside them.

Support needed

Here are some some of the requirements to fulfil this ambitious project – can you help?

• Project management and administration support to contact, and develop relationships with, a wide number of different organisations
• Finding ‘sponsorship in kind’ from suppliers of items to include floor protection (Corex), scaffolding, materials and everything other than paint which has already been donated.
• Persuading professionals to give their time for nothing
• Encouraging support and participation from local community groups, volunteer groups and apprenticeship programmes.
• Liaising with the construction companies to provide people to help paint and to supervise the project
• PR and awareness building, the project will require input to gain momentum and give those that support it valuable coverage
• Social media support
• Time lapse photography and other filming of the project
• Work with Shoreditch Town Hall to support their requirements
• Financial support to pay for elements of the work

If you can help, please contact Francesca Findlater, CEO at BOUNCE BACK

Call 020 7735 1256 or email [email protected]