16/03/2021
We are thrilled to be part of Makespace Oxford’s Meanwhile in Oxfordshire project!
Since March 2021 Fusion Arts has been collaborating with Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire’s district councils, artists, individuals and six other local organisations to animate and activate 50 underused spaces across the county, making our high streets, towns and city more vibrant, exciting and inspiring places to live and work.
The £1.7m initiative is the first of its kind in the UK and is supported by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP). In addition to revitalising 50 dormant buildings, the initiative has also safeguarded 300 jobs, created 35 traineeships, provided construction jobs to local businesses, while supporting those who occupy and revitalise each space.
Reclaiming these spaces in ways that bring people together celebrates diversity and allows us to make, share and experience art & culture collectively, all the while supporting amazing local creatives and collaboratively building a better, more climate conscious future. We are excited to be bringing our meanwhile use experience and arts, culture, community and social justice-driven values to this project as well as helping to create new opportunities for local artists & communities.
Our work so far for this project has been in Gloucester Green, Oxford, transforming several empty retail units into vibrant hubs for community and creativity. In particular, we have converted 95 Gloucester Green into an active, multi-purpose creative space that has hosted an array of exhibitions, events and workshops since its launch in September 2021. You can find out more about past, present and future plans for 95 in this blog post.
Not only is this project adding vibrancy to our amazing city, but it also supports the incredibly important arts, culture and creative industries that contribute over £1.4bn to the local economy annually. Hence, its aim is to help kickstart recovery during these difficult times and contribute towards building more connected and resilient local communities, stronger local economies, and more secure futures.
Are you a local artist, creative, independent business or community organisation interested in getting involved?
You can find more information about the project and get in contact with Makespace Oxford on their website. You can also get in contact with one of our project partners: Wild Property, Independent Oxford, Soha Housing, Aspire Oxfordshire, Meanwhile Space CIC and Transition by Design.
Fusion Arts work with artists, groups and communities from across Oxfordshire and beyond to support a variety of imaginative and socially engaged projects.
Exploring Climate Change Through the Eyes of Indigenous Farmers in Indonesia. A collaborative project with Soboman Artspace 219 in Yogyakarta.
Creative writing project for young people across Oxfordshire, building writing skills as important tools for self-expression.
Long term project using interactive art strategies to develop speech and language in young children.
