Looking @aSpacE

and Declaring IT’s

Bones

FIT

After the Symposium and Exhibition at the Central Bank Auditorium in November 2023 Da. Da & Projects was approached by individuals, small groups and other NGO’s and business asking to partner with us in some way. One of these groups was CROSS TOWN COLLECTIVE.

This organization on their own have rejuvenated the Dragon Mas. Situated in a very rundown part of the nations capital where crime is rampant. Cross Town Collective has impacted social change through their love of carnival, Jouvert and their community, particularly children living within its quarters.

A Space Urban Planning FORGOT

Faced with the complex social issues of its depressing surroundings, walking past the gate and realizing that trees are in the courtyard transports you to an unknown past. The vision is of the first houses in town. We had an issue with parking and the stale odd smell of the polluted streets choked with trash did not help. You dodged broken pavements and stray dogs and easily you could abandon the intention if you were faint of heart. But we were spurred on by the beautiful productions coming out of Cross Town.

The joy that they manage to create makes everything about the initiative feel like millions of dollars in cultural treasure.

Professor Rhoda Reddock outside the front of the CROSS TOWN headquarters

As you enter Cross Town it somehow gives off the aura of an oasis. There are nooks and crannies. A man minding his own business in a makeshift parlor in the front. Then a door ahead and some crates on the left. The passageway narrows and you are between a different pathway of concrete. Over to one’s right a tree with a space for worship looks as normal as ever. On the left, you see open but partitioned spaces. One set up for a tailor or seamstress. You are now in the central courtyard. It is an open space with a tent, a rundown stage and an abandoned dwelling structure. The conclusion, a history has constantly been breached. The multiple architectural false starts can attest.

Speaking with the owner of Cross Town and his committee you were moved by their sincerity and selflessness to not just throw up their hands by all of the gut wrenching challenges they have faced over the years.

This was a meeting where at least for me, I could see the potential and the chronic complications. To tackle the issues was so close to the heart. However later, when our members talked about the task ahead we all agreed, we were loathe to ‘solve’ the problems we saw. To not consult further, not listen even more attentively to the most vulnerable people in and around Cross Town would be a disaster.

We certainly could not act like colonizers!

Cross Town has good bones for sure. The intention is there. The instincts in terms of use of space is understandable. Da.Da & Projects could see how the environment was utilized. Spaces were thrown up based on need with intentions to do better when better was met. But that has not happened as yet.

The images included in this blog are my visual thoughts on improving on what is currently there. Some of my considerations were based on utilizing the crates, drink cartons and palettes.There are enough to organize them to define areas. We also noticed that scaffolding could be repurposed.