Most of the artists I met live or work close to the Olympic Park and as I took them around the Park I realised that my perspective as an east Londoner, as well as theirs, would be changed by this trip.
After the Park, I took them to the View Tube, located on The Greenway, with its fabulous views over the site. One of the artists pointed out her studio overlooks the Olympic Stadium site. It was the first time she had seen this view of where she works.
Another showed me the fire escape from where he has a cup of tea and watches the soil washing machines do their work and the Energy Centre rise up out of the ground. And now he was looking over at his studio from inside the Park.
The buildings on the border of the Park in Hackney must have seen a lot over the years. Now they house a creative community that contributes so much to the vibrancy of east London.
I feel proud of the creativity that makes the area, my area, so unique. During this visit, it was made clear to me more than ever that the Olympic Park, the first new urban park in 150 years, with its cutting-edge designs and sustainability initiatives, has the potential to bring something really special to the East End.
