Southbury Art Trail_2
Sam Carroll_FATHER
Sam speaks from a place of instinct, experience, and concern for what comes next. He describes Ponders End as a place where people are visibly different from one another, but still interested in each other, which gives him a sense of warmth and belonging he didn’t feel growing up in Croydon. There, he felt more separation. Here, he feels seen. Community, for Sam, is the real world. He is deeply sceptical of computers, social media, and AI, which he describes as a false world that pulls people away from human connection and affects how people think. He notices corruption creeping in through these systems and admits to worrying about things he doesn’t fully understand, particularly how fast change is coming and what that means for the next generation. One of his most meaningful connections in the area came through meeting Almaz at Southbury Laundrette, which he describes as a new adventure. That meeting reinforced his belief that community happens through everyday, human encounters rather than technology. Sam is mixed race, with an African father and Irish mother. He speaks about having had to choose his own identity, describing himself as a “middleman,” someone who doesn’t fit neatly into one category. This sense of in-betweenness is mirrored in his relationship with his twin. Though they look different, he says they think the same, share feelings, and even brainwaves, suggesting a deep, almost mystical connection. Family and children are central to his life. He used to play Father Christmas and still structures much of his thinking around safety, responsibility, and care for younger generations. Though he has been alone for nine years, he says he is not lonely and has a good social life in Ponders End. He even plays computer games with his grandchildren, despite his mistrust of technology, because connection matters more than principle. Sam believes safety is the most important thing. He speaks openly about violence, arguing that it must be acknowledged honestly if people are to find a way out of it. He believes Ponders End can be better if people give more of themselves, talk more, and stay grounded in the real, shared world rather than retreating into digital ones.
This is Southbury Art Trail
(click here to view additional sculptures)‘This Is Southbury Art Trail’ is a new creative placemaking initiative celebrating the Southbury and Ponders End neighbourhood shaped by community, resilience and industry. The new public art trail weaves together 3D portraits, poetry, and local voices to honour Southbury’s identity and bring everyday stories into the public realm.
DYSPLA, an award-winning art studio in Enfield, was commissioned by Enfield Council to deliver this innovative digital art and 3D sculptural project working with 30 community members, to shape this bold new public art trail and offers a wonderful opportunity for local people to come together and shape who they are, where they live and how their work is shaping the area.
The 3D digital art trail is approximately 1 km long, stretching from Southbury Road, along Kingsway and culminating on Queensway. This project is part of Shaping Southbury — a public realm and community engagement programme being delivered by Enfield Council’s Journeys and Places team and supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
