More than 80 local residents took part in an interactive pop-up energy shop in Walkden Town Centre last week.
A team of young people from the Rio Ferdinand Foundation transformed an empty shop on Egerton Walk into a hands-on installation with the aim of tackling what community energy means to local residents.
The project, Flash Point, was funded by Electricity North West, the region’s network power operator, and delivered by Contact’s Creative Experts.
Residents were able to explore the way they perceive the energy in their community and they watched and listened to performances before taking part themselves and adding to the ongoing creation of the artwork.
Jonathan Collins, corporate social responsibility manager for Electricity North West, said: “The two day project was a great success and we were delighted to be able get involved in this fantastic community project that has encouraged local young people to consider how they use electricity and how working together creates fantastic benefits and helps enhance a community.
“It’s easy to take electricity for granted but as the North West’s network operator we work hard to keep the lights on across the region, and it was very interesting to see people being creative and enjoying this special pop-up installation and performance in the centre of Walkden.”
The 12 young people, aged 12-24, devised the content and found their own creative and engaging way of promoting positive energy in the local community.
Matt Fenton, artistic director and chief executive of Contact, said: “We are really excited about the success of this project. The response from both the young participants and the local people who took part was overwhelmingly positive.
“Flash Point brought community creativity right to people’s doorsteps. It’s a great example of how Contact’s Creative Experts – our brilliant team of young facilitators – can bring art and business together to empower young people to run social action projects within their own communities.”
Flash Point was located on Egerton Walk on the first floor of Walkden Town Centre and was open to the public on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 August.
