London Design Festival 2024Voices of Wandsworth

Voices of Wandsworth is an art installation that invites viewers to experience the rich tapestry of Wandsworth’s collective voice, brought together in a unique and powerful way. Through personal messages, each participant contributes to a collective narrative, which is transformed into a display of origami butterflies.

This installation culminates a series of meaningful conversations and origami sessions held across Wandsworth. Participants from all corners of the community—children, the elderly, residents, and workers—came together to explore the prompt, “If a butterfly could hear you, what would you say?”  

In these sessions, participants shared their thoughts and crafted their messages, while others contributed their responses via email. Charities, organisations, and high street businesses also participated, making this a true community effort. Local writers and poets added further depth by responding to the prompt with evocative poems, enriching the narrative with their creativity. These messages were folded into origami butterflies. 

Throughout these sessions over the month of August 2024, we gathered over 100 messages, expressed not only in English but also in French, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and Japanese, Arabic, Spanish and more reflecting the rich cultural diversity of Wandsworth. Nearly 500 origami butterflies were created in these sessions and are now part of the installation. These butterflies symbolise the essence of Wandsworth—its compassion, creativity, and unity. 

The installation was brought to life with the help of the talented visual arts students from South Thames College, who played a crucial role in crafting the display. The soundtrack that accompanies the exhibition, enhancing the experience, was created by the sound students of South Thames College.  

This project is a testament to what makes Wandsworth the Borough of Culture for 2025: a place where every voice is celebrated and every story matters. As you experience the installation, you’re not just witnessing art; you’re seeing the collective heart and soul of Wandsworth take flight.