In response to the current social distancing measures in place, Grafter James has been working on bring an exciting new project to their community in Armley, West Leeds. With venues, museums and galleries closed across the nation, James has been looking at ways to bring entertaining and interesting events to communities in public spaces.
“Although I’ve only lived in Armley for three years, this place has had a massive impact on me, and it’s honestly one of the best places in Leeds to call home. There is such a great community here and a want from neighbours to help each other connect, to clean up litter and protect our green spaces, and working together in true Yorkshire spirit. Hopefully this is a start of giving back and helping people to access arts and heritage without barriers.”
James Gray, Director/Secretary 2020/21
Part of the wider Playground project, Exploring Armley will see the installation of a temporary exhibition space in Gott’s Park’s Rose Garden. In partnership with Wade’s Charity and Leeds City Council, this museum isn’t made of walls or marble columns, it’s just a simple sign with a scannable QR code.
Every day there will be something new to discover, from hidden history and stories of some of the most memorable ‘Armleyians’ to local independent businesses, charities and organisations, and groups. All you’ll have to do is use your phone to scan the link and see what you can find. There will be a few surprises along the way, and hopefully this will be a fun addition to our daily walks and exercise. What will you discover? Make sure to share them with us online using #playgroundleeds #graftcollaborative #armleygoodstuff
Don’t worry if you can’t get to the sign or scan it, we will be posting each link through our social media every day after, with a bit more information from James and external links you can follow. Just check us out and follow us on Instagram @playgroundleeds or Twitter and Facebook @graftcollab and get a new discovery every day.
This project will run for the next 30 days from Friday 5th June, maybe longer depending on popularity, with plans to expand the project across other communities across Leeds. Make sure you go explore your local park and public green spaces, be safe and keep on social distancing!
If you’d like to be featured or have a suggestion, we’d love to hear from you, just get in touch via social media or go to the contact page from the menu above.
The sign has been printed and installed by locally based The Leeds Sign Co. and funded by Leeds Arts University and Leeds City Council. A big thank you to everyone involved in the project so far, trying to pull something like this together whilst working from home has been challenging, but with your patience and help we’ve come through and delivered!
You can find out more about the wider Playground project here.
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