As of this morning, you can take a walk through Wolverhampton and listen to how nine artists have re-imagined some of the empty spaces to be found within the city centre. The IfWeHadThisSpace project is part of #offsite9, which offers a platform to local writers and creatives, while British Art Show 9 (which focuses on artists from elsewhere in the UK) is in town.
I’m delighted to be part of IfWeHadThisSpace, and I hope you enjoy my poem 15, Darlington St. It’s one of nine pieces commissioned for the project by Asylum Art Gallery, and you can listen to a recording of it by downloading the Overhear app (free) and wandering down to 15 Darlington Street, which is the site of the old Wild Bytes cafe. The front of the building has been turned into a giant blackboard for the duration of #offsite9 and you’re invited to add your own thoughts about what this empty space could be used for, and how it could benefit the community.
It’s been a joy and a privilege to be involved in a project which sets out to imagine how our city could be better. So go on, take a wander through Wolverhampton. Listen to all nine of the pieces. See empty spaces in a new light. Spark your own imagination. Be the start of something wonderful.