If you’ve been along Midland Road in the last few days, you’ll have already seen the changes beginning to take place in number five.
The former Virgin Media building was recently taken over by Pride of Place (POP) Bedford and, over the next few weeks, it will be a hive of creativity, community and an infectious passion for our town centre.
The force of nature behind the project is Talia Giles, an artist and co-manager of Bedford Flea in collaboration with Bedford Creative Arts. The saying “if you want something done, ask a busy person/woman” can be perfectly applied to Ms Giles.
And this is just the start of her ambition to revitalise empty shops in the town centre.
“This is a pilot project,” said Talia.
“A chance to gather as much information about what people want in Bedford town centre – what would make people come to the town centre more often.
“It’s a blank canvas but we want to give people an amazing experience when they come here.”
Describing it as “fast, furious and agile”, Talia will be putting on as many events as possible in the time she has the unit.
POP Art
The POP Bedford programme of events begins on 12 July, but there’s already something to see if you’re just passing by.
POP Art is the window art strand of the POP Bedford project, aiming to put local artists’ work in the windows of vacant shop units. While Talia and the team get 5 Midland Road shipshape behind the scenes, the photography of Jasmine Murray is currently on display.
Called ‘Unsocial Media’ it is a series of six images that explores the all-pervasive modern phenomenon of social media, where the lines between reality and real life are increasingly blurred.
“I think it’s great that an opportunity has been made available in Bedford,” said Jasmine. “My work has travelled elsewhere in the country with e RPS 100 Heroines travelling exhibition, so it’s nice for it to travel home and be seen in my local town centre.
“Bedford is an incredibly creative place and it’s lovely to see the POP Bedford project flourishing and brightening up the streets.
“I’d like to thank Talia and the team at BCA for this great opportunity and it will be amazing to see the work of other local artists too.”
Open to the public
On 12 July, the doors of POP Bedford will be thrown open for a six-week programme of creative art projects run by different commissioned artists.
“There will always be something happening,” said Talia. “We want visitors to come in and get hands-on and take part. Everything will be free, although some things will be bookable.”
Throughout the school holidays, there will be lots of things for young people to do and the project will culminate in an exhibition of work made throughout the pop-up.
“It will organically grow as we go along,” said Talia.
“From an empty unit to an interactive, magical, co-creative space.”
POP Studios
Midland Road is not the only empty space that Talia and the POP Bedford project is transforming.
Thanks to a collaboration with Padmanor, the landlords of The Old Arcade, and agents Kirkby Diamond, POP Studios has popped up in the former Upper Crust unit in the Arcade.
The space is home to artists Katie Allen, Anne-Marie Abbate, Fi Wilson, Giacomo Verdura and Talia, bringing creative activity to a formerly empty space.
“The hope of the POP Bedford projects is to encourage other landlords and commercial agents to look at the business model we’re using and see how they can use license agreements to make use of empty shops,” said Talia.
“We’ll be doing lots of evaluation throughout the project, so we’ll have plenty of evidence and data to show the impact that bringing empty shops to life has on a community and a town centre.”
In addition, Talia is extending an invitation to Mary Portas, who provided some much-needed support when it seemed that the project might be scuppered.
Read: Letters: A reply from Mary Portas
“I’ve been working voluntarily on this project for two years, trying to get a unit off the ground,” said Talia.
“To finally have the keys to the shop is amazing and I hope it’s the first of many. We would love to invite Mary Portas to see what we – and everyone in Bedford – are doing and what we have planned for the future.”
POP Bedford at 5 Midland Road will be open every Wednesday – Sunday from 12 July with events taking place throughout the day and into the evening. Groups can also hire the space for meetings, performances, events and workshops and you can also sign up to volunteer here.
