The Start of Something: Firing the Generator

At a launch over the weekend of 30th September to 2nd October 2016, Firing the Generator presented the public with an opportunity to visualise a new space for creativity and community cohesion in Loughborough. The Generator, formerly the site of the first British Technical University and then the town’s School of the Arts, is found at 12 Frederick Street in Loughborough. Its potential development was the inspiration for a group of East Midlands-based arts professionals – comprising Catherine Rogers, Fred Brookes and Kevin Ryan – to come together, to form a company to work on bringing the building to life as a creative community space. They envisioned the vast space, which has stood empty for years, as a collaborative enterprise hub with affordable accessible workspace for small and start-up creative businesses, a large gallery and showcasing area and a space offering disadvantaged young people work/enterprise experience with local creative businesses.

In partnership with Loughborough University’s RADAR programme (supported by its Market Towns Initiative), the building was temporarily transformed by Rotterdam-based concept architects Stealth into a public space for a programme of discussions, performances, exhibitions and pop-up opportunities for creative artists and businesses to share their work with the wider community. As part of the weekend a conversation was held forThe Start of Something exploring what the future holds for the building and its community. Around 100 people visited the building or were involved in the event during the weekend, all of whom contributed to the conversation in some way. The proceedings included performances of live music and circus acts, artist-led workshops and a PechaKuchaNight. Members of the Commercialisation Studio at Loughborough University provided business displays and Charnwood Arts provided exhibitions from international artists and local school children.

The weekend was filmed, photographed and documented through writing and illustration by Paul Gent on the cardboard box structure that STEALTH conceived as a set that was moved and reconfigured to alter the spaces over the weekend e.g. from kitchen to workshop space to conversation to PechaKucha Night. It brought together many local artists and organisations, who were able to make new connections and pledged support for the project. Different projects were showcased and the audience were able to connect with people presenting a range of arts and social engagement projects, creating a real buzz and excitement about using the space for other such events in the future. Questions posed to those taking part helped build a picture of what people could bring to the project and gauge the level of commitment and dedication from people who attended.

Following the launch, the company has continued to pursue funding opportunities to enabling bigger bids to be submitted and survey work on the fabric of the building to begin. They reflected on their progress our open platform for The Start of Something at QUAD in Derby on 28th April 2017. See more pictures from the event.

Follow progress of The Generator.

Firing the Generator was proposed to CVAN EM’s The Start of Something project, which, through conversation, sought to bring people in the East Midlands together to explore a common goal, share experience and work collaboratively, ultimately to make things happen. CVAN EM supported proposals from groups based in the region, that it considered would benefit the widest community and make the greatest difference within the region.

Find out more about The Start of Something and the conversations that we supported.