Acton Arts Forum secured the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund for the project 'East Acton: Old Town, New Town.' In 1801 there were only 241 inhabited houses in East Acton Ward, whereas today it has a ballooning population of over 18,000, with 7,000 new residents projected by 2026.

East Acton 'Old Town' was first mentioned as a village in 1280, and the town was the site of a major Civil War battle in 1642. East Acton 'New Town' is the site north of the A40 where the golf links became a housing estate in 1920 and was also developed with homes for soldiers after WWI. At presen,t the area is about to undergo an unprecedented level of change, with enormous developments planned for Old Oak Common and Park Royal, and major Crossrail and HS2 hubs.

The 16 month project explored, celebrated and brought to light the rich history, changing landscapes and diversity of East Acton while it undergoes new developments. It offered opportunities to communities, primary schools and local artists to record the infinite social, cultural and structural changes that have taken place in and around East Acton. Sue Bowers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London said: 'This project gives local people the opportunity to gain a range of skills while uncovering the history of their area and presenting their findings to a wider audience.'

The project aimed for community cohesion through the recruitment of volunteers and offered training sessions in Research, Oral History, Filming and Photography.  These sessions provided opportunities to learn new skills and ensured participation and engagement from local residents of all ages across Acton's diverse community. 

At the end of the project, a short documentary film was produced with footage exploring the transitions of East Acton with talks and interviews from local residents, hearing their stories and experiences of living in East Acton. We also held an exhibition that contained all the articles and stories that were collected throughout the project. This toured around local community centres in Acton, as well as John Perryn Primary School and East Acton Primary School and on to Gunnersbury Museum. 

The project was run by Acton Arts Forum/ARTification, with contributions from Acton History Group, Gunnersbury Park Museum, Green Prospects, APPLE Art Block, Goldsmith's Resident Association, John Perryn Primary School and East Acton Primary School.