Voices of Wandsworth: An art installation where origami butterflies convey messages of love, compassion and transformation.

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, 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Roopa Basu is a London-based designer and artist who established her studio in Wandsworth in 2011. With experience across three continents, she specialises in graphic design and community-focused art projects. Roopa connects creativity with local businesses and engages global audiences through exhibitions. She believes in 'thinking globally and acting locally. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPECIAL VIEWING Please join us for a very special viewing on: Wednesday, September 18 from 6pm - 8pm. You will get a chance to meet the participants and organisers who made Voices of Wandsworth possible. We will be sharing some of the messages from the installation. There will also be a poetry reading by Nick Words, a writer and performer who has presented work around the UK, including at the Wandsworth Arts Fringe. BOOK YOUR FREE TICKETS by clicking on the link below the photographs that says 'Special Viewing' which takes your directly to the Eventbrite site. OR you can copy-paste the link below in your browser. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/voices-of-wandsworth-special-viewing-tickets-1005233369067?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ "In times when division seems to be everywhere, this is a chance for us to come together and celebrate unity through art. Let’s create something meaningful and beautiful together" ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THANK YOU We would love to thank all our participants and organisers without whom Voices of Wandsworth would not be possible. Special shout out to: The Print Design Tooting Bal Sanskar Group Rose Community Club Room PiNS Mushkil Aasan Battersea Arts Centre 575 Wandsworth Road All Saints Church Tooting Cromwell House Community Hub The Arty Crafty Crescent Club Katherine Low Settlement Mother and Child Welfare Organisation Batterseabeat Balham Library Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees South Thames College. And finally, a very big thank you to Wandsworth Council for supporting this project ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~