Goldsmiths helps Lewisham float win London New Year’s Day Parade

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Goldsmiths staff and students contributed to Lewisham’s triumph in winning first place in London's New Years Day Parade, marking the first win for the borough since 1998.

Performers in the parade in colourful costumes, with a person stood in front holding an Urban Synergy T-shirt

Photograph by Cesare Serventi 

Saskia Olde Wolbers, Senior Lecturer BA Fine Art and History of Art, and Goldsmiths students, Morgan Tucker (BA Drama and Theatre Arts with Design and Technical Practice) and Yumeng Kuai (BA Fine Art and History of Art), participated in designing the float for youth mentoring charity, Urban Synergy. 

The fusion between Goldsmiths and the local community saw Alma Tischlerwood, a visual artist and Lewisham Arthouse Member, working on the float design and performers and participants from Mahogany Carnival Arts, Lewisham Youth Theatre and Queen’s Walking Group performing together to bring the float to life.  

I was able to collaborate on the designs for the parade and costumes with other artists and the legendary Mahogany Carnival Arts. I felt the parade was a really impactful and accessible platform to make work for.

Saskia Olde Wolbers, Senior Lecturer BA Fine Art and History of Art

The float highlighted the innovation and ambition of Lewisham’s young people, using the imagery of science, environment, innovation and resilience within geometric forms, featuring young people and multi-generational performers in colourful costumes.  

Saskia Olde Wolbers designed a flexible, fabric dome for the top of the truck and two costumes for performers, printed with sonar imagery she filmed in lakes and in the Thames near Deptford, linking the underwater, urban environment with advances in medical imaging and science fiction.  

Two performers wearing costumes printed with sonar imagery.

Performers wearing costumes designed by Saskia Olde Wolbers, photographed by Cesare Serventi

Yumeng Kuai worked on the banner which decorated the truck, with a central image of two hands, one human and one robot, touching. Yumeng explained, “In the design centre, human and machine finger touch, inspired by Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam, expressing the ardent expectation of the harmonious development of science, technology and humanity.” A hexagonal design with icons representing different professions also featured. Morgan Tucker created a design for the truck which referenced the crown from the Borough of Lewisham logo and celebrated diversity. 

A student working on the design on the side of the truck.

Photograph by Cesare Serventi

The £15,000 prize will support Urban Synergy, Lewisham’s Mayor’s chosen charity for 2024/25, on its mission to help 50,000 young people by 2027 through mentorship, skills development, and work experience programmes.