Last month, the V&A dedicated one evening to Tottenham. It was a showcase of our charming community spirit and a great moment for the creative groups growing all over the area. A proud night for us and also the shiny hard evidence of change for all to see - big screens, fanzines, music, fashion, origami workshops and even meditating (no, the last one was not a typo). On the night, I was intrigued by the choices made for inclusion by the coordinator of the Friday Late events, Ruth Lie. I was also really interested to find out her thoughts on the local area and what challenges she faced while putting the event together. And so I decided to ask her and here's what she had to say.

* How did the Tottenham Takeover come about?

Tottenham Takeover was the final in a four-part series of Friday Lates that explored different London neighbourhoods, following Dalston, Peckham and Hackney Wick previously. This came out of discussions within our team about wanting to support and acknowledge different creative communities in London, highlighting both the talent and challenges faced. Questions of gentrification, local vs creative community etc. were all things to consider throughout the takeover series.

*What was the selection process - how did you decide what or who was going to be part of the evening?

The Tottenham Takeover was a mixture of an open call out to artists/designers in the area, as well as approaching specific projects we had a particular interest in. I very much wanted the evening to be representative of Tottenham as an area, rather than simply focusing on artists based in the area if this makes sense. This meant that we selected projects that took Tottenham as their influence, or made a comment on Tottenham in some way, rather than more abstracted works that were proposed.

* What made you decide to include specific areas like music, fashion photography?

One of the joys of a Friday Late is that the evening is always incredibly diverse - and Tottenham Takeover was no different. I tend to programme events thinking broadly across fields of music, performance, talks, workshops and installations. Tottenham, in particular, has a very interesting music scene for example.

* Where you there on the night and what was your favourite part?

I certainly was there on the night. I'm there at every Friday Late but tend to be manically running around checking on everything and solving any problems that might arise! My favourite part was the music - watching visitors dance to jungle as DJ'd by Josey Rebelle in the Grand Entrance and the fantastic Tottenham Community Choir against the backdrop of the Raphael Gallery.

*Tell us about the fun part of putting together an evening like this?

No Friday Late is ever the same - you are often working on topics outside of your comfort zone but that is what makes putting a programme together so interesting and challenging. The fun part is being able to think creatively about the Museum both physically and on a conceptual level, as well as meeting and getting to know the huge range of artists and designers that are involved in each evening.

*Tell us about any challenges along the way?

The time-frame to put together a Friday Late is always very tight - we have a Friday Late on the last Friday of every month (except December). Also making sure that the programme is engaging and diverse for visitors on the night is always a challenge, but a good one!

*What did you find fascinating or interesting about Tottenham before you put together this evening?

I think that compared to Peckham, Dalston and Hackney Wick, you could say that Tottenham is lesser known in terms of being seen as a 'creative hub' within London. There are also so many negative connotations attached to the area which we were keen to question and challenge. On a completely different note, you can't beat the Turkish food on Green Lanes!

*What do you find interesting about Tottenham now?

There is such an intense feeling and respect for the area from the artists and designers that work there. I think that's really inspiring and it's great to see a project such as MAKE ROOM really looking to work with the local community and change the way in which Tottenham is perceived. Considering the history of the area is also essential when looking to move forward - the rag trade in Tottenham is a great reference for designers there.

*After research and time spent working on the area, name a couple of things missing or in need of improvement for the area?

That's a difficult question to answer - I would say that the general perception of Tottenham is in need of improvement. Tottenham is going through lots of changes, with new developments popping up - and the needs of the local and creative community need to be considered in all of this.

*The DJ and the Tottenham choir were both incredibly popular on the night, is there anything else you wish you had included that could have had similar interest?

It would have been great to include more music within the programme seeing as it's so prevalent in the area - some bigger names such as Skepta perhaps?!

Huge thanks to The V&A and Ruth Lie. Friday Late with MasterCard takes place on the last Friday of the month at the V&A - click here for more

This was written in April 2014