Community Visioning Labs
Community Visioning brings people together to collectively re-imagine and realise alternatives to existing “spaces”. It builds upon existing “placemaking” methodologies by placing people at the centre of the discussion and providing them with the tools to enact change.
Participants begin by exploring the ecological, social, economic, and psychological factors that shape the built environment and their relationships within it. Through personal recollections, we begin to unpick the complex relationships between humans, non-humans, and the surrounding environment, juxtaposing mundane urban spaces with glimpses of ecological and social harmony. We believe that the tension between places that ‘excite’ people, and their lived reality, is a natural source of creative energy, though many lack the power or confidence to fully express this. With the support of an artist-facilitator, we seek to overcome this barrier, providing participants with a tangible “vision” of what could be.
Lab #1
Our first Community Visioning Lab was held in The Dukes, Lancaster, in September 2023.
Participants were invited to explore their favourite places, and their relationship to Lancaster, before settling on a space that they felt needed some attention.
In the resulting conversation, our artist-facilitator sketched their vision for the ginnels of Lancaster.