February 5, 2020 3.03 pm
This story is over 19 months old
Hidden gem: The Lincoln mansion connecting people with art, food and culture
A hive of social and creative events
Assistant Producer Bhav Bhella, Artistic Director Kerry Campbell, Conference Coordinator Carys Fieldon ,Volunteer Coordinator Beth Lambert, Curator Colette Griffin, Arts/Architecture Intern Selina Tarnowska and Press and Marketing Lead Tim Marks
Nestled between Lincoln’s Transport Hub and the rising Cornhill regeneration project is a cultural hub bringing communities across the city together with free public events, art and communal feasts.
Mansions of the Future on St Mary’s Street offers accessible spaces to hire which are enjoyed by around 70 community groups ranging from artists, theatre troops and crafters to support networks, disability groups, cycling enthusiasts, business groups and even UFO hunters.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Mansions of the Future
It also provides a programme of free cultural events with local, national and international contributors, all designed to fit their diverse city surroundings.
It’s brought to life by talks, workshops, communal lunches and family activities, and it also delivers unique, tailored programmes to communities outside of the city centre – all with the help of a 50-strong team of dedicated volunteers.
“While many arts organisations articulate what valid culture is, the use of this building and the beauty of Mansions of the Future is that it’s defined by the people who use the space,” explained Artistic Director Kerry Campbell.
Kerry with The Lincolnite’s Emily Norton showing exhibition spaces at the hub which showcase artists’ work and ongoing projects in the community. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Mansions of the Future is in its final legacy year of the three year project funded by Arts Council England’s Ambition for Excellence, in collaboration with the Lincoln Cultural and Arts Partnership.
Since its launch in May 2018 it has become embedded in the community with an array of events designed to be social, site specific and collaborative.
The ongoing Urban Form work in the Ermine community looks at the history, present and future of the estate through a lens of post war housing, the legacy of Sam Scorer, architecture and planning.
Some of its most successful projects have ranged from games nights to artist workshops.
Curator Colette Griffin said: “Our recent work for the current season, Urban Form: Social Architecture & The Commons, has taken us to the Ermine estate to look at the history of the place, the legacy of Sam Scorer and how the community value the spaces within it. It has been amazing to work with the local community there and we have discovered fascinating archives of history.
The Mansions communal Christmas lunch. Photo: Mansions of the Future
“But also the communal lunches, as an ongoing side, have been very successful.
“They are a great opportunity for emerging artists and have gone from strength to strength.”
Colette Griffin and Kerry Campbell. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Kerry added: “Food is a common denominator for social interaction. Networking and organic conversations across the table are a joy to watch, and people love it because it’s a free meal.
“They’re quite broad and have included spoken word, costumes and folk law. We even had a session dedicated to the lost art of eating rocks and salts. It had us all munching charcoal and salt lick!”
The takeover programme at the hub invited people to book the space for a range of groups and activities. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The reading room is always open to the public: Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
For now, the future of this community hub is unknown, and at the mercy of the next tranche of funding allocations.
The challenges faced by many local cultural organisations, like the Usher Gallery and community centres, may well see more groups coming together for collaborative funding pitches.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
“The need for a space that’s dual use is evident. We’re an important inter-locator for a range of creative organisations.
“We have artists on the bottom floor and we have creative businesses on the top floor like Frequency Festival and TED Ex.
“No one pays rent for the space and what these gestures do for the cultural infrastructure in the long-term is huge.
“We have been a catalyst for a positive change in the city. So now it’s thinking about what’s next. The funding we had was a one-off great for cities with cultural potential.”
Photo: Mansions of The Future
Photo: Mansions of The Future
Photo: Mansions of The Future
There’s lots to look forward to in the next few weeks, including a unique programme of social events as part of the team’s work in the Ermine and in collaboration with international design collective ON/OFF.
From February 19 to 22, people will have the chance to join a mobile “Public House’. It will act as a community built ‘shelter’ and will be paraded around a warm hearth or chiminea that invites people out of their homes and onto the streets to greet one another.
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Unwanted council-owned land could be put on the market to bring it back into use.
Some of the plots are subject to frequent fly-tipping or anti-social behaviour, which North East Lincolnshire Council is obliged to deal with.
Sites could potentially become small housing developments, gardens or given to community ownership under the plans.
One of the sites which could be looked at is the plot of a demolished house on Ripon Street in Grimsby.
The empty space is frequently used to dump rubbish and sees anti-social behaviour.
If a new owner is found, it could potentially help to solve the problems there.
Only sites which have no benefit to the local area in their current state would be considered.
A council officer said: “Some of these pockets of land are subject to anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.
“Bringing them to market would allow us to explore opportunities to transfer the ownership.
“We may consider less-than-best offers or peppercorn rent where there is significant social value in them being handed over to the community.”
The report was presented to the Economy Scrutiny panel and will go to Cabinet for approval in December.
Ward councillors would be kept involved in decisions about plots in their ward, and only a selection of five sites would be put on the market at once.
Officers also confirmed that there had been interest in Welholme Galleries, a Grade II listed council property which was previously used to house museum artefacts and display local art but has been vacant for some time.
It is on the market for £200,000 after a 2018 decision to sell it.
It is hoped that new owners can be found to take over maintenance and bring it back into regular use.
A man has appeared in court after making Conservative Grimsby MP Lia Nici’s life ‘miserable’ with a campaign of threatening behaviour.
She says the harassment at her home left her and her family with no respite.
Nicholas Burrows, 49, of Cartledge Avenue, Grimsby, admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards the Conservative MP.
She says Burrows, who is the friend of a neighbour, became ‘obsessed’ with her after she was selected as a candidate.
Burrows admitted offences between July 30 and August 2, but Mrs Nici says it had gone on for much longer.
She has condemned abusive behaviour towards MPs, which comes just weeks after Sir David Amess was fatally stabbed, and says it won’t stop her from carrying out her duties.
“Since being selected as candidate for Great Grimsby MP, I have been subject to ongoing incidents from this person at my home,” she said.
“I have lived in the same house for more than 20 years with no problems, but a friend of a neighbour became obsessed with harassing me.
“He clearly decided it would be funny to make my life and my family’s life miserable.
“When this happens at home, you don’t get a moment with your friends or family. There is no respite.
“I am pleased that he has admitted this in court, and I hope this will make him reflect on his actions.
“People need to understand that MPs are people working hard and trying to do the best job they can for their constituency.
“Police and parliamentary security have been great support while dealing with this.
“It is sad that MPs in this day and age need protection because people feel it is acceptable to treat them like this.
“Safety is always a concern. Since the murder of Jo Cox, MPs have received briefings from police and security on how to act and be vigilant.
“This event will not stop us from doing what we were elected to do. In a healthy democracy, we need to hear each other out – acting like this is quite unacceptable.
“I am happy to have a debate with anyone if they are not going to abusive.
“What also people need to understand is that my offices in Grimsby and London have teams who staff them. When people get aggressive with me, the staff are often the ones who receive it.
“Social media certainly doesn’t help – people say things on there that they would never say in person.
“The actions of people like this won’t stop me from working hard for Grimsby.”
Burrows was fined £400 when he appeared at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court.
He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £34 victims’ surcharge by a deputy district judge.
Humberside Police have confirmed that Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked for the security arrangements of northern Lincolnshire MPs to be reviewed.
“The fatal stabbing of MP Sir David Amess was a despicable act and quite rightly, has sent shockwaves across the UK,” a spokesperson said.
“The Home Secretary has asked all police forces to review security arrangements for MPs with immediate effect and we can confirm that we are underway with how we can do that for all MPs across the Humberside region.
“We are working with other forces across the UK, along with the Home Office, to agree an approach on how best to ensure the safety of our MPs, and more widely, our communities at large.”
Those who lost their lives at war to defend our freedoms will be honoured on Remembrance Day this year, as part of a weekend of services in Lincoln.
Remembrance services have been observed since the end of the First World War in 1918, to honour armed forces members who lost their lives serving their countries in the line of duty.
It is an annual tradition for services to be held across the country, and this year is no different, as Lincoln prepares for a weekend-long Remembrance of our heroes of war.
There will be a brief service on Remembrance Day itself, Thursday, November 11, held at the war memorial on Lincoln High Street and organised by the Royal British Legion.
The service at the Lincoln War Memorial. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Another service will be held at the war memorial on Saturday, November 13, this time organised by City of Lincoln Council in conjunction with the Royal British Legion.
The Armistice Service will be attended by the Lord Lieutenant, the Civic Party, members of council, freemen and more, with a wreath-laying opportunity and music provided by the Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue band.
The day after, on Remembrance Sunday, Lincoln Cathedral will host its usual annual service, with the Mayor of Lincoln in attendance along with the Civic Party and members of the council.
Elsewhere in the county, West Lindsey District Council have said that the chairman will be at All Saints in Gainsborough on the morning of Remembrance Sunday, and then All Saints Parish Church in Nettleham in the afternoon for two separate services.
In North East Lincolnshire, there will be services held in Grimsby, Immingham, Laceby, New Waltham and Cleethorpes to allow people to pay tribute.
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