works

Possibilities Club

Ongoing project with final installation

Over approximately 18 months, I worked on Possibilities Club at the invite of Maria Brewster under the ‘At The Library’ project. Based in Bootle library I have worked with a class at Christ Church Primary School in Bootle – and their awesome teacher, Miss Ebo – as well as running a week-long intensive summer Possibilities Club and visiting other Bootle. I love libraries (my mum was a librarian) and I love the idea that anything is possible so the aim began very simply: to get children feeling powerful, especially when it came to using the library and being creative with that space that belongs to them, to everyone.

Gradually, after meeting the class weekly at the library, it became a practical project with the outcome of making over the kids section of the library. They made do with hand-me-down graphics and objects for a long time and it’s time they had something special. So, the walls have been transformed, the upholstery has been transformed (with thanks to Linny Venables and Sam Venables for helping me paint) and there is a whole new piece of furniture for smaller babies and toddlers to keep their hands busy while older siblings can sit and read.

Thank you to the children first and foremost. I also want to thank the library staff: Val for letting us run (mostly) free and to Owen and Keri for their help at the weekly clubs. Lesley and Andrew at Sefton Council for their support and Eddy at Bootle Tool shed. To all those who helped to run the weekly workshops; Hannah Bitowski, Flis Mitchell, Paula Hampson, Andrew Small, Nathan Jones and Laura Robertson. Flis Mitchell also for her sharp and swift administrative support. The upholstery of the old library chairs, with digitally printed fabric I designed, by Bluebird Upholstery, the transformation of scrappy photoshopped sketches and a balsa wood maquette into an exquisite piece of furniture by Matt Kelly of Plaey, Holly Bagnall‘s gorgeous Possibilities Club identity and lastly, Maria Brewster for being cool, calm and totally trusting in the Process. What an epic team!