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Meet Me BY The Fountain
ART INSTALLATION REVIEW | 2026
Meet Me By The Fountain
Romford Market
13-15 Aug, 2026
Director, Designer: David Shearing
Text: Vickie Donoghue
Narrator: Debra Baker
Composer, Sound: James Bulley
Video Projection: Novak
Images © TNC
AUG, 29, 2026
What does community mean in 2026?
It sounds like a loaded question, and perhaps it is, but I don’t think we actually ask ourselves what community means; moreover, what it means to us. My first time in Romford, and the ancient Market Town has suffered the fate of many towns like it. Changing economic circumstances and a sustained lack of UK Government investment, something many of the Outer London boroughs have faced, should have been the death knell for Romford. Walking through the City Centre, I could see the ghosts: a Debenhams and an Index Catalogue Shop, long gone, but their presence is still felt.
In 2023, David Shearing premiered New Beginning at Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch. The impact of this piece is immeasurable. What Shearing does is create work that is richly organic, authentic, and urgent. This isn’t just art; it is the epitome of using creative platforms to tell stories that can genuinely impact his audiences. When I was contacted about Meet Me By The Fountain, which is only on for two nights, I knew I didn’t want to sit on the fence about whether I would come from Peckham to Romford. The biggest fight we have right now in our society is how we view, understand, and incorporate our histories and communities. Meet Me By The Fountain has the Romford community at its heart, and it’s through their history that Shearing has created an ode to a Market Town.
The installation opens up with James Bulley’s soft, subtle sound design that feels like an awakening, as Novak’s video design embraces the greyness of the fountain as birds fly across the uneven stone shapes. Narrator Debra Baker proclaims that this is ‘…a love letter to our town, to the place we call home.’ I think it’s too easy for British people to forget our local history, even though most of our towns and cities date back thousands of years. Most modern cities and towns in England, except for maybe Cornwall and Bristol, don’t embrace the myths and mysteries that are part of their DNA, unlike our Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish brethren. And that’s where Shearing starts: in 1247, Henry III and the Close Rolls. The significance of the River Rom leads into the greater understanding of how vital the role water plays in giving and sustaining life.
The installation explores nearly 800 years of history and yet never seems forced or rushed; this is due in part to Bulley, Baker, Novak, and writer Vickie Donoghue. You’re pulled into the emotional narrative because it’s been made for the community, by the community. The development of the market over the years is connected to the development of the town and the needs of the local community. Markets have always played an essential role in British life, and still do in many parts of the country. They’re a consistent part of our history, a legacy of community and togetherness.
One of the more poignant parts of the installation focused on WWII and the devastation of this small market town. Every city, town, and village will have some commemoration to those who died during the two World Wars. Train stations, banks, some shops, hundreds and thousands of names entombed on walls, their names forever in the conscience of the public, but we become almost oblivious to them. These monuments become detached from our lives and our shared history. This section of the installation brings the impact of the war, the ultimate sacrifices made, and what it would have done to the community at home. It’s a powerful moment, one that allows you to take a very deep breath and know that our people have endured some of the worst experiences imaginable, and they never gave in. It illustrates how much our communities have gone through- the devastation- but also their resilience and its power to keep rising.
As the installation came to a close, the bells began to ring out from St Edwards Church, and it started to rain slightly. It wasn’t until I got to the front of the church that I saw the blurred figures of the bell ringers through the large windows. At this point, the bells created a sound I’d never heard before, almost a joyful cry, as others stopped and looked up, took photos or just listened. It’s hard to describe what this felt like. We hear bells ringing all the time, but never like this. This was designed to make you stop, take a deep breath, and appreciate another part of our shared. There was something incredibly touching about this moment.
Havering tried to get London Borough of Culture twice, and it’s a testament to their determination that, rather than wallowing in defeat, they decided to create their own cultural initiative, A Good Life. This in itself is an anomaly, but listening to Councillor Keith Prince talk about the failed bids was actually quite inspiring. It’s too easy for councils to walk away from cultural initiatives if they don’t get the funding; it’s a tale as old as time. I left wondering about other London councils who failed in their bids; what was their Plan B? But what Havering did was realise that culture bids are not just about the funding; it’s about what you can do for the community. Looking for alternative funding, they showed a genuine commitment to the community and, in the process, created a project that’s not just a love letter to Romford, but a signal to the community that no matter how many rejections you might get, keep trying.
"Shearing has done the opposite of this; he’s created a project that brings the local community in and gives them equal space to share their memories and the dreams for the future. "
For the people from Romford who will experience Meet Me By The Fountain, it will fill them with a sense of pride. Shearing, himself from the community, moved back ten years ago, adds to this desire to explore the importance of community by creating a project that can bring people together. Ahead of the installation, Shearing said Romford is ‘…full of heart, it’s a place that tells you what it thinks’, and that ‘it wears its heart on its sleeve.’ And the installation captures the spirit of its people wonderfully. Sometimes going home can be a devastating reality check after years away. The memories of what it was like- places you used to hang out, boarded-up shops, and cafes closed down- can make you feel lost, and it can contribute to becoming isolated from the local community. Shearing has done the opposite of this; he’s created a project that brings the local community in and gives them equal space to share their memories and the dreams for the future.
Meet Me By The Fountain isn’t just about memories or pining for the past; it's about celebrating history and the continued evolution of a community that’s hundreds of years old. By concluding with a series of interviews with local people, it’s this collective of voices that offers an invaluable contribution. Embracing who you are and what your community has done can be powerfully inspiring, encouraging that same community to come together to write their next chapter.