Imagination Spaces Project

Over the next few days, we’ll be showcasing some of the amazing projects our teams worked on last year. These projects have made positive impacts on our local communities, generated additional footfall, increased use, and improved the lives of Surrey residents. The first of our projects is Imagination Spaces. ?

With funding from Arts Council England , Esme Fairbairn, Rothschild Foundation, Surrey Arts, Surrey Artist?Open Studios, Arts Partnership Surrey (funded by 11 boroughs and Districts), Farnham Maltings and Surrey Libraries UK , Imagination Spaces was a year-long programme to test ways?to animate Surrey’s Libraries as performance, exhibition, and social spaces.??

The programme involved our Programming and Audience Development Team working alongside a member of Farnham Maltings staff (funded by the Arts Council award) through Surrey’s 52 branches to reposition libraries as cultural hubs.??

Surrey is often stereotyped as being affluent, yet there are real challenges and areas of?deprivation and so the programme was designed to use the unique selling point of the?library service as a safe, neutral space for all, to create inclusive and affordable access to?cultural events.?

Imagination Spaces successfully extended the reach and accessibility of cultural engagement across the county, whilst attracting new audiences, and diversifying the library offer. It also?helped develop library managers as promoters, strengthened staff skills in the delivery of?cultural events and enhanced partnerships with local arts officers.?

The Imagination Spaces programme included:?

• Anarchist Mobile Library – a free children’s theatre show run during the lockdown in 7 libraries across 7 borough/districts. At least 220 people booked and attended sessions.?
• I Am Bird by Marie Klimis – a bespoke interactive theatre/art library commission that toured 11 libraries across the county over 22 days, providing a cultural experience for at least 172 residents, including many new members.?
• Book Club for Super Spies – a family show with a community trail. At least 66 families (over?370 children and parents) attended across 11 shows hosted by 8 libraries (with additional times added due to its success). Of those 66 families, 23 families were not members of Surrey Libraries.?
• Surrey Artists Open Studios – residencies were offered in 3 libraries for 5 young artists?between 18-30 years of age. It was a great opportunity for library members to see an artist?at work, get involved in a workshop as well as for Artists to exhibit their work. The success?of one of the residences led to one artist being offered a chance to exhibit their work at the?Tate in Margate.??
• Make Do & Mend - Craft workshops were set up in 4 libraries – 3 of which were very successful – The 3 successful libraries, all have plans to continue hosting these types of workshops as there is demand.?

The Programming and Audience Development team were instrumental in the successful delivery of this programme by forming a strong and lasting partnership with Farnham Maltings, in co-ordinating with artists and performers, liaising with library branches to organise performance times, promoting and marketing events, meeting and greeting attendees, conducting evaluation, collating comments, and analysing feedback.? All the shows brought many positive comments from attendees and as a result of the programme’s success all partners have pledged to continue working together to deliver cultural events in libraries in 2023.