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You Are Here is a three-year National Lottery Heritage Funded project (Sept 2024 – Aug 2027) at Grand Junction, connecting people and places by celebrating the diverse history of the local community, and the heritage of our Grade 1 listed Victorian building.

Over the next three years we are going to collaborate with specialists, artists, local communities, through a series of events, workshops, and digital innovations to reimagine and shape how we tell the history and stories of our building and city, bringing them to life in exciting new ways. We’ll continue to work with local residents to explore the 151-year history of St Mary Magdalene’s, from its sole purpose as a working church to also becoming a vibrant multi-arts centre and venue – uncovering stories from the past while also looking to the present and future.

Follow You Are Here and its activities on this page. If you’d like to collaborate, share a story, or find out how you can take part, check the ‘Get Involved’ section below.

YOU ARE HERE EVENTS

Join us for a free Creative Workshop for the Sudanese community, with experienced artist Rayan Elnayal and share a delicious free meal! الصفحة مترجمة للغة العربية

Tue 18 February, 18:00
FREE

Join our new history walking tour to explore the hidden gems of our local area.

Wed 2 April, 12:00
FREE

A FREE 10 week programme celebrating the Sudanese community in West London! الصفحة مترجمة للغة العربية

Tue 22 April, 13:00
Tuesdays, 13.00 - 15.00
FREE

GET INVOLVED

Heritage Engagement Volunteer: Help us research our rich Victorian heritage and local area history to share with the public

Heritage Engagement Volunteer

Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene’s Church is a vibrant venue for community, arts, and culture, housed in a beautiful Grade I listed building run by Paddington Development Trust. We offer a wide-ranging programme that includes health and wellbeing classes for the community, after-school clubs for children, family arts and theatre, a heritage programme of talks, tours and exhibitions and a collaborative programme of music, arts and performance.

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join us for an exciting new heritage project that brings the history of our building and local area to life in fresh, engaging ways. As a Heritage Engagement Volunteer, you will receive training in interpretation skills and work closely with our team and local community to research and develop new walking tours and digital content. This project will involve exploring the stories of St Mary Magdalene’s Church and the surrounding area, with a focus on incorporating voices from the local community. We will be using innovative digital tools alongside physical interpretation to bring the stories of our building to life to create a more engaging and inclusive experience for all.

Where?

Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene’s, Rowington Close, London W2 5TF

(Some aspects of this role can be carried out remotely)

When?

This project will run from October 2024 – July 2025.

We recommend a commitment of around 3 hours per week, with flexibility to fit your schedule. This includes a monthly group meeting.

What will the role involve?

Working under the supervision of Grand Junction staff, the Heritage Engagement Volunteer will:

  • Research and collect information on the history of our Grade I listed building and the North Paddington area.
  • Engage with local people, organisations, and community groups to collect stories and ensure community voices are reflected in the project.
  • Contribute creative ideas for new ways to interpret and present the building’s history, both digitally and physically.
  • Work with other Heritage Engagement Volunteers to share, interpret, edit, and curate research findings for use in tours and digital content.
  • Participate in a monthly meeting to discuss progress, share insights, and contribute to the development of new interpretive materials.
  • Help to create engaging content based on historical research
  • Help to identify opportunities to spread the word about Grand Junction’s heritage programme.
  • Attend training and development sessions to build expertise in interpretation, digital tools, and heritage storytelling.

Who are we looking for?

This role is suited to people who:

  • Have an interest in history, architecture, or community storytelling
  • Have an interest researching and discovering the past, with a curiosity for local history and heritage, or a willingness to learn more
  • Have an interest in creating engaging content to bring history to life for the public.
  • Are clear and confident communicators.
  • Are organised and methodical
  • Are comfortable working independently but also enjoy collaborating with others to share ideas and research.
  • Are looking to develop new skills and gain experience, while making a positive impact in the local community.

Our commitment to you

We value the contribution that volunteers make to our work. Volunteers in this role will:

  • Receive ongoing training, including a detailed volunteer induction and training specific to the role
  • Receive travel expenses (up to £10 per shift), in accordance with the PDT volunteer policy
  • Receive ongoing support from Grand Junction’s Volunteer Manager, and other Grand Junction staff
  • Be supported to use their volunteering to access employment-focused opportunities, such as advice and signposting, where relevant
  • Be invited to regular volunteer social gatherings, community events, and talks.

What you’ll gain

This role is a great opportunity to:

  • Develop hands-on experience in heritage research, digital content creation, and community engagement.
  • Learn how to use innovative digital tools, such as QR codes and augmented reality, to create interactive and accessible heritage experiences.
  • Build skills in curation, storytelling, and interpretation.
  • Develop new skills and confidence
  • Play a key role in reinterpreting heritage in fresh, inclusive ways.
  • Meet like-minded people and make friends!

Additional information

  • Volunteers will at times require computer and internet access at home to undertake this role. If this is a problem, please contact us to discuss ways in which we may be able to support with this.
  • Volunteers must be prepared to undertake pre-offer checks, including references.

Interested?

Great! We look forward to receiving your application. To apply, please complete our short application form and tell us why you’re interested in joining our diverse volunteering team. For more information, please contact: volunteering@grandjunction.org.uk.

The next meeting will be on Friday 14 February, 14.00 – 16.00

Interpretation Designer for Digital Guide at Grand Junction

Introduction

Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene Church is a vibrant arts, culture, and community hub housed within a Grade I listed Victorian church in Paddington, London. Alongside a dynamic programme of live events and activities, we celebrate and share the rich heritage of the Grade I listed church and its surrounding North Paddington area.

We are commissioning interpretation designers to create innovative digital guides as part of our Heritage Lottery Funded project,You Are Here. This project aims to fuse the stories of people and place, exploring the changing relationship between the building and its community over time.

The digital guides will reinterpret the building’s Victorian heritage and local history in engaging, interactive formats, ensuring accessibility, inclusivity, and relevance for our diverse audiences.

Scope of Work
The selected interpretation designers will:

  • Develop digital content for self-guided exploration, including audio, video, augmented reality (AR), and interactive images, accessible via QR codes placed throughout the building and its exterior. We will also require a number of physical devices to ensure accessibility for visitors without smartphones
  • Collaborate with a panel of local heritage volunteers and the Heritage Manager to co-create digital interpretation that reflects key heritage themes and community narratives.
  • Create a cohesive experience that aligns with Grand Junction’s brand identity and interpretive messages.

What are we interpreting?

The assets and the overarching messages

St Mary Magdalene Church, the Undercroft and the Chapel

  • The history of the church’s construction and architecture, it was built on a narrow site, the clever architecture involved and the social context of the time it was built, focusing on its Victorian heritage.
  • Key contributors: architect George Edmund Street, founder Father Richard Temple West, architect of the chapel Ninian Comper and renowned artists Daniel Bell, Henry Holiday, Martin Travers, Harry Hems, and Thomas Earp.
  • Highlighting key features including the painted ceiling, stained glass windows, paintings, statues.
  • Information about the recent conservation work.

Grand Junction

    • The architecture and design of the new building by Dow Jones Architects
    • Grand Junction as a community arts and heritage centre and past projects.

Local Area History

    • The history and development of the canal and its role in shaping the area.
    • Redevelopment of the North Paddington area, showing its transformation over time.
    • Key figures in local history (historical local residents) such as Dr John Alcindor, Peter Rachman, Mary Seacole, Sarah Siddons, Lucien Freud and Kelso Cochrane and their impact on the area.
    • Significant historical events in the local area

Personal Stories and Memories

    • Oral histories of local residents reflecting their experiences of living, working, and migrating to the area.

Initial interpretation ideas:

We have started exploring themes with our group of heritage volunteers and below are some of the directions we are interested in developing. We are eager to collaborate with experts who can help to realise some of these ideas and bring fresh perspectives. We welcome innovative and creative input on how we can use digital interpretation to transform how we share the story of our building with visitors.

    • Hearing from key characters such as the church architect G. E. Street through video or AR
    • AR footage of the surrounding area outside the church showing what it looked like in the past (Victorian terraces were demolished in the 1950s and 60s to make way for new tower blocks).
    • Footage from the films that have been shot in the Undercroft and Chapel.
    • Videos showcasing the restoration and conservation process, with input from those involved, illustrating a before-and-after timeline.
    • Zoom functionality to closely examine intricate details, such as the ceiling artwork, chancel area, characters depicted in the statues and windows, and highlighting hard-to-see artworks, such as the William Morris window and Charles Ricketts painting.
    • Music playing the musical notes on the walls of the chapel
    • A child-friendly interactive game encouraging exploration, e.g., “Can you find this animal in the stained-glass windows?”
    • Information available in multiple languages, including Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Hindi/Urdu, and Portuguese.

Project Timeline

    • February – March 2025: Content development meetings with volunteers and Heritage Manager.
    • March – May 2025: Finalisation of digital guide framework and content
    • May – June 2025: Content creation (filming, recording, design, and development).
    • July 2025: Pilot launch of digital guides to the public.
    • August 2025: Incorporating feedback from testing, finalising adjustments
    • September 2025: Full launch of digital guides

Project Budget

We have a total budget available of £24,000, including VAT and to cover all aspects of design (including some time for co-creation meetings with volunteers), software development, content creation, and collaboration with sub-contractors as required.

Submission Requirements

Please include the following in your proposal:

    • A cover letter demonstrating your understanding of the brief
    • Your approach for developing Grand Junction’s digital guides, including a proposed budget.
    • Examples of relevant work

Submission Deadline: 24 February 2025, 9am

Please submit your proposal to Holly Henry holly@grandjunction.org.uk

APPLY NOW
Paddington Development Trust logo - A Grand Junction Partner

You Are Here project has been made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund

See our previous National Lottery Heritage Fund projects