Emma Cons Gardens, Waterloo, London
Emma Cons Gardens Artwork
Year
2025
Client
Emma Coms Gardens Trust
Services
Commission Management
Locations
The Cut, Waterloo, London
A site-specific permanent commission
We have been appointed by Emma Cons Trust to commission an artist for a new permanent artwork as part of the public realm improvements for the benefits of residents, commuters and visitors to Waterloo.
Emma Cons Gardens is located at a historic crossroads , originally shaped by the medieval high street and later redefined by the 19th-century construction of Waterloo Road and the post-war creation of Baylis Road. Once a WWII bomb site, the Gardens were established in the 1950s as a public space by the London County Council and named after Emma Cons (1838-1912) – a Victorian social reformer and entrepreneur.
Framed by the iconic Old Vic Theatre to the south and new development at Mercury House to the north, the Gardens are poised for transformation into a more welcoming public space. A permanent artwork is proposed as a focal point for the Gardens.
She established the Royal Victoria Coffee and Music Hall, now known as the Old Vic, transforming the Royal Victoria Theatre which was a place of ill repute. Instrumental in founding Morley College with the principles of inclusion and social justice, Emma Cons became one of the first female alderman on the London County Council in 1889.
“The Gardens serve as a social and civic hub, linking The Cut to Lower Marsh and connecting with Lambeth’s rich cultural and green space network, including the nearby Southbank.”
Belonging, Care & Renewal – Honouring Emma Cons’ Legacy will invite artists a to draw inspiration from Emma Cons' extraordinary contributions as an artist, social reformer, and advocate for education and inclusivity. Emma Cons was a bold, brave, determined and formidable force for good. Her visionary leadership demonstrated how creativity and community engagement could ignite societal transformation.
Rather than a traditional monument or memorial directly referencing Emma Cons in figurative form, artists are invited to respond with an intervention, or series of interventions, that interpret her pioneering and visionary thinking, which amplified marginalised voices and demonstrated how inclusivity can transform communities and spaces, guided by the principles of belonging, care and renewal.
From her establishment of social enterprises and stewardship of the Old Vic Theatre and enabling equalities in horticulture to her broader work in shaping inclusive cultural institutions, Cons demonstrated how public spaces could become sites of empowerment, community-building, and renewal. The Gardens that now bear her name offer an opportunity to reflect on and reimagine this potential for connection and transformation.
Cons’ story is a reminder that reform and transformation are cyclical, with historical figures providing a foundation for contemporary movements in justice, inclusivity, and cultural production. In responding to her legacy, artists are encouraged to envision bold, forward-thinking interventions that draw on her trailblazing work through a contemporary lens.
“Her visionary leadership demonstrated how creativity and community engagement could ignite societal transformation.”
The commissioning process
Three artists have been shortlisted from an invited longlist of 12 artists. The brief is for proposals in any medium but are looking for an innovative solution which will augment the landscaping or public realm with a creative artistic input which responds to the curatorial concept.
Three shortlisted artists will present to a selection panel in mid April, comprising representatives from The Trust, Lambeth Council, developer, a local resident and a curator.
The selected artist will collaborate with Lambeth Council and landscape architects Farrer Huxley Limited to finalise their proposal for tender. Following which the fundraising for the artwork will become the focus.
For more information on Emma Cons see here .
The proposals for Emma Cons Gardens have been informed by a comprehensive programme of community and public consultation over several years. The Emma Cons Trust is formed of members of the project Steering Group and represents several of the major local stakeholders, including The Old Vic, Morley College, We Are Waterloo (BID), Bourne Capital and Southbank and Waterloo Neighbours (Neighbourhood Plan).
For more information on the wider development project see here.