Renowned artist Camille Walala teamed up with local artists to transform Leytonstone’s high street, using paint from Community RePaint East London.

Leyton High Road, home to the vibrant community in Leytonstone, East London, has been transformed with a colourful and innovative design, with the efforts of local residents, residents and renowned artist Camille Walala.

Camille Walala is a London designer known for graphics, interiors and fabrics that feature bright colours and bold patterns. She is also renowned for her amazing power to spread positivity across the streets of London, having also created murals, building facades and other installations across the world. The addition to Leyton High Road has re-energised the urban landscape with an explosion of creativeness, colour and joy above the shops and cafes.

 

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The local community was at the heart of this project, with the artist inviting Londoners to help shape the final design by voting for their favourite colour scheme. The project, run by City Hall and Spacehive, was kickstarted with Crowdfunding, which began earlier in the year and the ambitious project was approved after it raised a total of £40,000 – including a £25,000 backing from Mayor of London Sadik Khan!

The artists involved in the project purchased paint from Community RePaint East London, who have been part of the Community RePaint Network since 1998 and collect over 40,000 litres of paint annually. The scheme is run by the Forest Recycling Project work to promote a greener, more inclusive Leyton and Waltham Forest.

 

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Community RePaint East London partner with recycling centres across London to collect reusable leftover paint from residents that would’ve otherwise gone to waste. They check the quality and quantity of the paint before taking it back to their premises, where they sell it to the local community at an affordable price. The scheme also collects reusuable paint locally from traders, retailers and manufacturers.

Reclaimed paint of all types – emulsions, paint for interior and exterior wood and metal, masonry paint and varnishes – are available in a variety of colours and container sizes from two locations, ‘The Paint Place Reuse Project’ in Leyton and their shop ‘The Paint Place’ in Walthamstow. Both locations have paint available for sale to individuals and groups. If you’re in need of affordable paint in East London, have a look at their opening times on their website.

 

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Together, we can divert more paint from waste and brighten up spaces across the whole of the UK. We have over 65 schemes where you can purchase affordable paint, starting from £1, for projects just like this one! Find your nearest scheme here.

Photographs by Tim Crocker and Walala Parade Leyton
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