by Tracy Shaw, Loca Creatives Director
The stage is set - invitations out by the hundreds, word of mouth travelling, lanterns ready for ceremonial lighting... As is always the way with outdoor events, all we need now is a decent turn-out and the weather on our side. Gusting winds and heavy downpours would not be conducive to family fun with pebble decorating and site surveying in the afternoon, nor to conjuring up night-time magic with atmospheric projections and ambient soundtracks and leaving residents enthused about the project that is starting right on their doorsteps.
This Saturday sees the launch of Cornerstones, a project commissioned by Contour Homes in and around a brand new housing development in St Mary's, Oldham. Or it's the public launch at least - from a project management point of view and for the artistic team (Adam Strickson, Lucy Bergman, Dan Jones) the project is already many weeks in. We've been doing what you do when setting foot in a new neighbourhood with a new project to offer, local knowledge to gather and relationships to build - talking to local organisations about how they could oil the project's wheels, link in with it and help you make connections; chatting to people about their lives and the place on doorsteps, round kitchen tables and in the street; making a nuisance of yourself with schools who'd love to have you but struggle to find time for planning and scheduling. Not to mention figuring out how the streets connect up, who lives where, where people go, what their perceptions of each other and the area are, and who's responsible for clearing up the dog poo on the land you're about to hold your event on.
But we're on the starting blocks. The project that felt so nebulous a few weeks ago now has an identity which seems to be catching on (why is finding the right name always the hardest bit?). The reception has been warm and the offers of help many. Adam's long-term connections in Oldham have given us some head starts, and the kindness of people who've never met us before and as yet have no reason to trust in what we're doing has already been felt several times over.
On Saturday we'll be diving right in and hoping that the community around our Poppy Road site will take a leap of faith or at least be curious enough to dive in with us. We're promising a seating area that creates a loved, shared, and well used space; explorations of maps, symbols, stories, heritage and journeys that will translate into designs, performance and film; fun activities; and the chance to learn new skills. More than that, we're offering opportunities to meet near neighbours, come together in new groupings and have exchanges with strangers, in ways that we hope will forge connections between newly arrived residents and long-standing ones. Saturday marks the official start of the Cornerstones project journey, but in a bigger sense it heralds the next leg of an ongoing journey that is about the transition of an old community into a new one. To be a small part of that is a huge privilege - thank you for having us, St Mary's, we hope you enjoy walking along with us during Cornerstones' few months in your midst as much as we're going to enjoy walking with you.
This Saturday sees the launch of Cornerstones, a project commissioned by Contour Homes in and around a brand new housing development in St Mary's, Oldham. Or it's the public launch at least - from a project management point of view and for the artistic team (Adam Strickson, Lucy Bergman, Dan Jones) the project is already many weeks in. We've been doing what you do when setting foot in a new neighbourhood with a new project to offer, local knowledge to gather and relationships to build - talking to local organisations about how they could oil the project's wheels, link in with it and help you make connections; chatting to people about their lives and the place on doorsteps, round kitchen tables and in the street; making a nuisance of yourself with schools who'd love to have you but struggle to find time for planning and scheduling. Not to mention figuring out how the streets connect up, who lives where, where people go, what their perceptions of each other and the area are, and who's responsible for clearing up the dog poo on the land you're about to hold your event on.
But we're on the starting blocks. The project that felt so nebulous a few weeks ago now has an identity which seems to be catching on (why is finding the right name always the hardest bit?). The reception has been warm and the offers of help many. Adam's long-term connections in Oldham have given us some head starts, and the kindness of people who've never met us before and as yet have no reason to trust in what we're doing has already been felt several times over.
On Saturday we'll be diving right in and hoping that the community around our Poppy Road site will take a leap of faith or at least be curious enough to dive in with us. We're promising a seating area that creates a loved, shared, and well used space; explorations of maps, symbols, stories, heritage and journeys that will translate into designs, performance and film; fun activities; and the chance to learn new skills. More than that, we're offering opportunities to meet near neighbours, come together in new groupings and have exchanges with strangers, in ways that we hope will forge connections between newly arrived residents and long-standing ones. Saturday marks the official start of the Cornerstones project journey, but in a bigger sense it heralds the next leg of an ongoing journey that is about the transition of an old community into a new one. To be a small part of that is a huge privilege - thank you for having us, St Mary's, we hope you enjoy walking along with us during Cornerstones' few months in your midst as much as we're going to enjoy walking with you.
