The New Curiosity Shop

The New Curiosity Shop!
February and March 2011

Image : things that money can't buy on the shelves of The New Curiosity Shop

Action Factory was invited to occupy an empty shop in Blackburn town centre for three weeks as part of the LET - liberating Empty Terrain project; a creative initiative which provides funds to local authorities to put empty shops to creative use at a time of recession.

Local people were asked to come and help us create stock, with shelves devoted to "things that money can't buy" and "things that should be preserved" and "things we have lost".

Visitors were invited to spin a yarn" and contribute ideas for a final celebration event.

Some of the images taken at the shop are on flickr,  please check our flickr page and the LET Blog 

Lucy Jones, the creative facilitator on the project has put together a video of the work that was produced and also put to film some of the story boards that people put together. Here it is link to youtube

Some background information

The project is the latest in the series to occupy the LET shop, which was previously Val Hall Jewellers. The New Curiosity Shop is part of Creativty Works' LET (Liberating Empty Terrain) Project which uses empty shops and town centre spaces to showcase creative industries and develop artistic practice. It is funded by Arts Council England through The National Lottery Fund, and through DCLG Empty Shops Initiative which provided funds to each local authority to put empty shops to creative use at a time of recession

Creativity Works is an initiative co-ordinated by the arts and cultural officers of 6 Pennine Lancashire Districts (Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale, Arts Council England, Curious Minds, Lancashire County Council and Regenerate Pennine Lancashire. The purpose of Creativity Works is to raise the profile and engagement with the arts in Pennine Lancashire.