Keep on the Grass grew out of discussions about the role of signs in making people feel welcome in public places, particularly parks, and the different impact of signs which explain what you can do versus what you can’t. As a direct result of the Parks for Health Strategy co-production with Shared Assets, VCSE organisations and ourselves, Islington council created multilingual “Welcome” signs for all their parks, and Camden council redesigned their signage to be more visual, accessible and inclusive.

Catherine went on to collaborate with the Built Environment Trust to put on a playful exhibition at the Building Centre in central London which stimulated conversations with the public about the role of signs in creating a positive culture in our public spaces.

The exhibition toured to the Farrell Centre in Newcastle in 2025, as part of a year-long programme What is an Ideal City?, where we hosted a cross-sector roundtable event Just objects? in partnership with environmental historian Clare Hickman.

Keep on the Grass is being further expanded and restaged at the University of Westminster in collaboration with Andrew Smith, as part of the London Festival of Architecture 2026. The launch event includes a panel and discussion with Sally Oldfield, from Islington Council, and Christopher Donkin, from London Sport.

Read Keep on the Grass: Yes You Can!