Artists in Residence Grizedale Arts • Cumbria, England June-August 2002 www.grizedale.org

As Artists in Residence at Grizedale Arts, Wowhaus worked with a community in Barrow-in-Furness. Although close to the renowned Lakes District, Barrow's economy is rooted in industry rather than tourism. Recently, the community has been faced with economic challenges due to industrial change. While exploring practical issues faced by a community in transition, this project investigated perennial themes such as hope and fear, nature and culture and individual and community. Peoples' desire for "a bit of green" in their community was all the more striking given the town's relative proximity to the bucolic Lakes District. Wowhaus is producing a publication about the work.

Wowhaus actively involved community members in envisioning how to use an area that will be created when houses on two city blocks are demolished in the center of their community. This participatory approach, increasingly described as "socially engaged practice", characterizes Wowhaus public projects. Wowhaus facilitated hands-on design sessions in which ideas could be explored: a "full-scale" mock-up of the future space was delineated on a football field, and an architectural model featuring photos of house facades provided another visualization tool. People of all ages and backgrounds provided feedback and input; weekly Community Tea Times created opportunities for dialogue and exchange. A park, play area, community centre, and media lab were identified as priorities by the community. Neighbors with special skills such as gardening offered to teach others to grow their own food and flowers; new funding sources were identified by Wowhaus as urban ecology and food security opportunities emerged. The process was recorded on video; youth and other community members were taught to use a digital video camera that was purchased by the Neighborhood Association, and community members are now recording the continued evolution of this project.