A Common Place : Connecting people through art, words, and a common place during lockdown

Speaking with several artists and writers – I’m delighted to hear about how successful the project was in terms of working in a new way. Many artists are not used to collaborating with someone else at all – let alone with a writer. The idea of collaborating on a project at the very time we were all feeling most isolated was liberating and exciting but also comforting. Some of the most interesting stories we’ve heard are from people who ended up speaking for hours to each other and where real friendships were formed.

What is so thrilling about the results is how differently each couple has interpreted the idea of a Common Place, and yet it’s clear to see how each place holds so much importance for them. We have works based on a wide variety of places: from the specific such as Hackney Marshes, Borough Market, an ancient burial site in Pembrokeshire, Dursey Island… to the less specific such as open air swimming, contemplations on the moon, a favourite place to work, a beach at dusk, walking amongst trees, an idea of home… the list goes on and on. Once we read about each pair’s chosen place it felt as though there had been nothing random about the selection – the common places they found were clearly so perfectly matched. We mused about how this project might have turned out if the pairings had been different, and of course, ultimately I’m sure they would still have worked just as well – this is the beauty of the project – we realise how much we do have in common with each other once we start to share ideas and communicate.

Many people told us how the process was almost therapeutic – discussing something quite personal and intimate with a complete stranger, then finding a common ground together. I think it was an experience that made many people feel less isolated and part of a much larger community where we still have so much in common despite living our lives temporarily apart and in isolation.

This project is about connection and collaboration; about being creative and expanding our world during a time of isolation and constraint. The relationships that formed were intense and meaningful, the experience of working with someone new was inspirational, and the results exciting, poignant and above all uplifting.