Rethinking The Future of Libraries

Commissioned
by

bristol city council logo

YEAR

2019-2022

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headshot young person

Euella Jackson

Elinor Lower

Leeza Awojobi

Valentina Paz Huxley

Meliza Fenlon

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headshot young person

Jayde Ayino

Consultancy: Research, Report Writing, Events

TAGS

Young
Creatives

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headshot young person
headshot young person

Abbi Bayliss

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headshot young person

Alexa Ledecky

Sophia Harari

Phase 1: RE/IMAGINE

RE/IMAGINE was commissioned as a follow-up to a citywide council-led consultation on the future of libraries.

Offered an exploration into models of youth engagement and the potential for public spaces to become more welcoming and functional for young people aged 16–24 across the city. The pilot culminated with two events, in Junction 3 and Southmead libraries, where young people took over the space, performed, danced, ate and hung out.

A comprehensive report was produced which inspired a piece of deeper follow-on work with Junction 3 that Rising delivered in 2020-22.

Phase 2: My libary my space

 Following on from RE/IMAGINE the council commissioned us to do a deeper dive into Junction 3 Library and how creativity could be used to engage young people in the Library Service.

As a result of the continued response to Covid the team weren’t able to use Junction 3 as planned as it was was closed during lockdowns and events were suspended. This meant designing a new approach to pursue more embedded and meaningful engagement.

We decided to focus on creating meaningful relationships with a smaller cohort of young people local to Junction 3. They would be ambassadors for what libraries can be like for and with young people, exploring the service through creative responses.

impact In numbers

£21,275

invested in 11 young artists and speakers

4

young artists worked on their first commission

37

community members worked on the communal poem

415

people engaged through 3 events

One of the things from the events which stuck out to me the most, was when Euella split the room into those who had been to a library in the past 3 months and those who hadn’t. The majority of the room were on the side of those who hadn’t.”

—Issie Tovey – Re/Imagine Participant

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