This is Nelson

This is Nelson was the Arts and Culture strand of the Nelson Town Deal, and looked at how working alongside artists could support collective reimagining of Nelson from the ground up.
Working in partnership between In-Situ, Building Bridges and Super Slow Way and Pendle Council, the 4 year programme completed in June 2026, with learning and methodologies being brought forward into future engagement in Nelson.

Now, we are looking at how our work of opening-up underused spaces, thinking sustainably and supporting ground-up collective action in the town will continue to grow.

Talkaoke, the illuminated donut-shaped table with a host sitting in the middle on a swivel chair from The People Speak, was invaluable throughout. We trained 8 Talkaoke facilitators and are holding monthly sessions to train more people.

“I really believe This is Nelson is able to unite previously marginalised individuals into larger community units, while maintaining the intimacy of smaller, more personal relationships”.

A sense of collective purpose grew from personal connections over the three years of This Is Nelson, and the This Is Nelson Collective emerged. Meeting and chatting in person and through WhatApp, decisions began to be made collectively as a result of the connections that were made between participants.

It’s a model we’re keen to continue through our other work - seeing what happens when we expand decision-making out to a wider group of people than the core In-Situ team. Testing a kind of participatory democracy, using film and art as prompts to encourage small group conversations to flow, and ideas brought to the surface. We can bring these ideas to council decision-makers, and then go back to the same groups to discuss.

People’s Assemblies were open-to-all celebrations and spaces for conversation, with food and childcare provided aiming to be open to all.

“You can never underestimate the work it takes to develop genuine relationships”

More than an art programme, transforming Nelson’s disused spaces into creative hubs has been central to This Is Nelson.

This is Nelson has been described as a vehicle of civic pride - a reimagining of what Nelson can be.

Spaces included Althams (old travel agents), 3B Systems (computer shop), Pendle Rise (former shopping centre), and outdoor public areas. Artists collaborated with local residents, embedding creative practices as tools for conversation, storytelling, and community building. The process focused on participation, agency, and long-term relationships rather than just the final artwork.

Led by Dana Olărescu and her Taste of Transformation work, with Super Slow Way, Food Nelson explored food politics and community wellbeing and explore what a sustainable food system would look like for the people in Nelson.

“We began to centre the This Is Nelson Collective gatherings around food. It starts to share the leadership out - rather than information sharing being ‘top down’, sharing food at the same time makes everything less formal and it becomes more of a conversation” (Michael Powell, In-Situ)

“I have been a part of something” - TIN youth participant

“The time the young people are having with In-Situ is probably the only ‘IRL’ time these young people are getting - conversing, exchanging and challenging. These sorts of third spaces which are not home/ school/ mosque; are so important. The development of the 3B space - the activation, the renovation, the plans - was extremely aspirational, and it feels great as a local resident and team member to see this actually happening." - Zoya Bhatti, In-Situ

“The process has encouraged me to think more deeply about participation, ownership and how creative spaces can inspire young people while creating opportunities for connection, creativity and future growth within the community. Moving forward into future work with In-Situ and young people, I will carry forward a stronger understanding of youth-led practice, the importance of listening and building trust over time, and the value of creating inclusive spaces where young people feel ownership over both the process and outcomes of creative work. “ Ajaz Qureshi, poet and TIN collective member.