In Certain Places project comes to UCLan Sports Arena
Artist Olivia Keith will be collecting memories of North West Preston at the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) Final Whistle Cafe for two weeks as part of her In Certain Places project Traces of Place.
The project is about mapping, preserving and sharing memories of North West Preston, an area undergoing rapid change. Olivia is interested in how maps can keep elements of a place alive and ways that memories can be preserved and passed on, such as place names, stories, poems, songs and drawings.
Olivia will be at the cafe from 26 June until 10 July collecting memories from residents about the area. She will be collating residents’ contributions and asking people to add their memories to an online community map of the area, as well as creating her own maps based on what she discovers. The project will culminate in information and maps that will be distributed to new homes in the area.
Members of the public can talk to Olivia at UCLan Sports Arena’s Final Whistle Cafe at 10.00am–1.00pm on 27 June, 2, 4 and 9 July and 1.00pm–4.00pm on 29 June, 1, 6 and 8 July (and other times by arrangement). Free tea/coffee vouchers will be given to everyone who attends.
Traces of Place is part of The Connected City project by In Certain Places, a series of artworks and events exploring areas that will be affected by the City Deal – a scheme that aims to deliver new jobs and housing in Preston.
Last year, Olivia explored the histories and current identities of places and communities within Preston as part of her research for Traces of Place. This involved engaging people in conversation about their places through making large-scale reportage drawings, which combined heritage and current information to explore the traces of tradition and historical context that are able to ‘make it through’ new developments. These drawings will be exhibited in the Final Whistle Cafe between 26 June and 10 July.
Evening event: What makes us feel at home?
On Tuesday 4 July at the Final Whistle Cafe, 6.00pm – 8.00pm, there will be a public conversation event with Olivia about what makes us feel at home in a new place. What helps us to put down roots and feel connected to the environment? What can established residents pass on to newer residents about community and place itself and how can this gift of information be shared? Everyone is welcome to join in – to listen or to participate and refreshments will be provided.
Free tickets can be booked at: https://tracesofplace.eventbrite.co.uk
The event is part of The Connected City Network, a series of conversation events taking place as part of the Connected City programme of artworks. These events provide an opportunity to engage with the artists and contributors to the programme, to find out more about the context of the work and share in the conversation that each artist’s work encourages.
In Certain Places is a programme of artistic interventions and events, led by curators Elaine Speight and Professor Charles Quick with associate Rachel Bartholomew, in the School of Art, Design and Fashion at the University of Central Lancashire.