Each of the last three years the Banbury and Bicester College, part of Activate Learning, hold their end of year student shows in the town centre. Neil and his town team colleague Iain Nicholson have been keen to help source town centre shops and are delighted this year to have found two willing landlords to allow such a use. This year agreement has been reached for use over seven weeks in May and June for the College to both host exhibitions but also run workshops for kids and adults. The project kicked off when Carol Wild, art educator at Birmingham City University, and of course Neil’s wife, ran a day’s workshop entitled Build A City, coinciding with the Old Town Party.
The use of the shops in this way is a really positive initiative. It’s disappointing when some landlords or their agents cannot see the benefit. Through a simple Licence Agreement the arrangements are documented, the property is put in use and there are of course much wider benefits to the community to experience a vibrant shop use rather than a closed front door or worse metal shutters. Often the temporary use turns into a much longer term occupancy.
Louise Williams, one of the course leaders at the College now sees this annual festival as an integral feature of the town’s creative and cultural calendar giving students the opportunity to develop skills in organising a public exhibition and understanding the commercial realities of the creative industries.
The shops are 36a Church Lane and 38 Parsons Street Banbury. With thanks to Urban Spectrum Property Management for their assistance.
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