When a direct debit order we set up pays our council tax, or we on a whim decide to buy a lottery ticket, we rarely if ever ponder the positive ripple effects such actions could have. Would you believe me if I told you that joy, into the lives of nearby strangers, unmet neighbours, was one of the differences rippled?

If not from me, believe it from Lucy Thurley. As Programme Manager at the Hounslow branch of Creative People and Places (CPP), she takes these humdrum occurrences of ours and makes tangible differences across our community with art and performance events that delight and inspire us.

We speak on the 10th anniversary of CPP's inception. Established as a wing of the Arts Council ten years ago, the purpose of CPP is to inspire creativity in parts of the country where involvement in the arts is below the national average.

Credit: Alex Brenner

Lucy, with her team of six based out of Brentford's Watermans, makes real precisely this aim for residents in Hounslow. As Londoners, access to art, music, and every kind of theatrical, dance, comedic or otherwise creative performance is, compared to the UK, unparalleled. This access widely varies at a local level, Lucy says – and access to "the arts" can feel quite different to an invitation. 

"Arts can often appear very elitist. Having art where people are and creating art where they live is really important [and] removes those barriers to getting involved." 

It is residents who are passionate about their neighbourhood who decide what form this creativity comes in, she tells me. "They know their communities, they're the experts. They understand what the need is." Working with local groups across Hounslow, the results range from outdoor cinemas and street art, to festivals and exhibitions in libraries and cafes, 

Most people want the place they live to be the very best it can be, for themselves, for their children. For some people, Lucy says, culture is a big part of what creates a safe, nurturing environment. "It doesn't replace buildings and roads, but it gives a sense of wellbeing and connection to a place".

Credit: Alex Brenner

I hear about the Feltham Fete in June – a hugely successful community day first hosted in 2018 and something of an answer to Feltham's beloved carnival which after six decades was axed in 2013.

The Feltham Fete was on a path to an annual existence, "until the pandemic hit and everything went slightly sideways," Lucy says, with a disappointed smile. 

Finally able to return this year, the event themed 'Homegrown' was a huge celebration of the culture, history and agricultural past. 

"A lot of work was put into thinking how it would be seen and felt. Colourful flags were made by local artists, we worked with some of the Polish community groups to serve food. The Friends of Feltham Green who sourced the site for us and worked really closely with us."

There are detailed evaluations of events and agencies employed by the Arts Council to measure changes in local engagement. I ask what impact Lucy sees events like the Feltham Fete have on residents and neighbourhoods around Hounslow and she tells me about a woman named Sonia who volunteered to be a local advisory group member. From running one of the CPP's outdoor cinemas, Sonia now helps run an outdoor cinema in Croydon. "Being involved in CPP has changed my life," she says.

"To be able to take an idea, from that first spark, at a meeting, to a full scale, tangible, event, or season of classes, that you can see grow, right in front of you, into this incredible, life changing thing for people – is really quite a privilege to be a part of." 

Find out how to enjoy and get involved in Creative People and Places Hounslow.