The Shape of Us

Flourish is a not-for-profit organisation and design studio using creativity as a tool for social good. We co-design inclusive spaces, environments and installations with the people who use them, helping to strengthen communities, improve wellbeing and build lasting social connection. Our wider work also includes free creative programmes and the redistribution of art, craft and design resources, with the aim of making creativity more accessible, leaving a lasting creative legacy. For London Design Festival, The Shape of Us brings that approach into a single, immersive installation. Developed in collaboration with The Exchange Community Hub in Westminster, powered by North Paddington Foodbank, the project invites an intergenerational and diverse group of people to explore identity through accessible creative making. Participants will create individual 3D self-portraits using colour, pattern, collage and paper, expressing something of their personality, inner world, hopes, fears and aspirations. No previous artistic experience is needed, and every contribution carries equal weight. The finished portraits will be illuminated and suspended together within a glowing shared structure. Seen individually, each is personal and distinct. Seen together, they become something larger: a collective portrait of community, filled with different ages, backgrounds, perspectives and lived experiences. 'The Shape of Us' reflects a principle at the heart of Flourish: design should not simply be delivered to communities but shaped with them. By bringing voices that can be underrepresented within traditional design and cultural spaces into the creative process, the installation explores what becomes possible when people are given the opportunity to participate, contribute and see themselves reflected in the outcome. For visitors, the work is both a visual experience and an invitation to think differently about design - Who gets to take part? Whose stories are visible? How can creativity help us feel more connected to one another and to the places we share? Alongside the installation, visitors can discover more about Flourish and our work across community-led design, inclusive spaces and accessible creative programmes. 'The Shape of Us’ isnot simply an artwork about community. It is a demonstration of Flourish’s belief that creativity can build confidence, belonging and connection, and that everyone should have the opportunity to flourish.