An old wishing well has made a wish come true for east London’s Bow Arts’ Nunnery Gallery—to get on a national a shortlist of venues to stage an event with world-renowned artist Susan Hiller.

East London Advertiser: Mistress of the Animals homage to Joseph Beuys [photo: Todd-White]Mistress of the Animals homage to Joseph Beuys [photo: Todd-White] (Image: Todd-White Art Photography)

The gallery’s next wish is for the public to vote for them.

The shortlist by Culture 24 for its Museums at Night event in October is for the public to choose a gallery in the online contest.

Venues made their bids from statements by their chosen artist. Nunnery’s idea was to invite Hiller to lead a pilgrimage to a wishing well in Ilford’s Vallentine’s Park to draw water from its once-sacred depths and make wishes.

Records back to the 15th century hint at Essex folklore scratching a wish onto a laurel leaf and throwing it down the well.

The pilgrimage is inspired by Hiller’s Homage to Joseph Beuys’ series of waters collected from sacred sites around the world.

The Nunnery would invite people to collect water and scratch wishes into laurel leaves, which would be documented and displayed in October.

The vote goes live at 11am today, on Museums at Night’s Connect shortlist, closing 9pm May 14, with the winning venue announced the following day.