Interview with Joanna, a Local Champion

We are delighted to introduce Joanna, one of our current Local Champions from a piece of engagement work we are carrying out in North Woolwich. We sat down for a little chit chat with Joanna to hear about her experience.

Can you introduce yourself and your connection to the area?

My name is Joanna Dong, and I’m a local resident. Professionally, I work in culture and the arts as a producer, with expertise in international touring, co-producing in theatre and dance. I also produce a local community festival that uses food as a central theme — a free community light festival open to everyone. Alongside this, I work as a researcher focusing on co-creation and capacity building, with community at the centre of urban redevelopment. My main research focus area is Royal Docks. So my living place, working place, and research place are all within this area, which means I have a very strong connection to it.

What idea are you developing, and what inspired you to choose this?

I’m developing this idea together with my peer Vickie, who is part of this group. We’re focusing on culture and community, and using food as the main tool to engage young children — particularly children with autism. The idea is about helping children play with food in a safe and creative way. We’re calling it an “edible, messy plate.” Through messy, edible play, children can develop their senses — touch, smell, and exploration — in a way that is inclusive for everyone.

Beyond this, I’m also thinking about how the same elements — food and play — can be adapted for different age groups. It doesn’t always need to be messy. It could develop into music-making, physical movement, poetry, or other creative forms. The goal is to take one core idea and develop it for different age groups and people from different backgrounds.

Why do you think this idea is important for North Woolwich, and what kind of change would you like to see in the area?

This idea is important because there isn’t much happening in this area. It’s mainly residential, with very few businesses. Many people work elsewhere, so during the day the area is very quiet. There are a lot of elderly residents and many parents with young children, but after school there aren’t many activities available. That’s why we want to create something specifically for people who live here - especially children, and particularly children with additional needs.

What we want to avoid is one-off events, which happen a lot. People often start from scratch each time, without sharing knowledge or building on what already exists. Instead, we want to test a pilot idea that can be shared, reused, and adapted for other activities.

We also want to raise awareness among local authorities and funders, so they can see the impact and support ideas in the medium and long term. Importantly, we want them to recognise that community members have the power and capability to create positive change themselves.

What does being a local champion mean to you?

For me, being a local champion is very helpful because it connects me with others who share similar interests and want to make the local area better.

Often when people talk about community, they immediately think about vulnerable groups. But within any community, there are people with many different backgrounds and areas of expertise. Through this group, I’ve met people with food expertise, for example, which creates valuable opportunities for learning, sharing knowledge, and building confidence.

It also gives us a direct channel to raise awareness with local authorities. They make plans for the area, and this allows us to share what we want those plans to be. Even though the world is complex and not every good idea becomes reality, at least they can understand how we think and what we’re capable of doing.

That’s why being a local champion is very important to me.