Beki Melrose is co-director of the Exchange, an art shop and gallery in Morecambe with plans to take buildings into community ownership to incubate local artists and entrepreneurs.
1. What do you do?
Artist, maker, thinker, do-er and director at The Exchange Creative Community – it is here I have been able to combine the artist in me together with a drive for social change and justice.
2. What is the point of the project?
Creativity, wellbeing, and enterprise have always been at the heart of everything we do.
Since we opened our doors in the summer of 2015 we have brought a wide range of people together through art; collectively we have established a local gallery & gift shop, a regular programme of activities and events, a popular community space we call the ‘Brew Bar’ and the community ‘art gym’ concept with an emphasis on sharing resources.
Morecambe’s West End is one of the most deprived areas in the country. The Exchange, supported by @LocalTrust @UnLtd and local residents, wants to change that https://t.co/LywQnmUxL9
— Far Nearer (@far_nearer) 26 February 2018
Born of a love for the area and the people in it, we are working hard to better represent the good things our area has to offer using the skills and talents that already exist within our community.
3. When was the moment you decided to do this?
There was lots of talk of hopes and dreams jarred by increasing frustrations caused by the political climate in our working environments. It ked to the point where enough was enough.
There had to be another way and maybe we could take steps in finding it. Our experience of the area didn’t match the continued negative press the area suffered and in particular reflect the incredible kindness, generosity and talents of those living here.
4. What’s been your proudest moment so far?
We’ve won awards, broke world records, spoke at national conferences.
But the moments that stick with me and close to my heart are our community events and projects where weeks of hard work from an amalgamation of diverse people that would not otherwise cross paths come together. It creates an air of pride that I believe forms the building blocks to a stronger more ambitious and resilient community.
“Pride forms the building blocks to a more ambitious and more resilient community.”
5. What’s been hardest?
There’s never a shortage of ideas and entusiasm but this can quite quickly turn into feeling very overwhelmed. Especially when combined with the increasing amount of administration and office based responsibilities as the organisation continues to grow.
I’m definitely guilty of getting caught up in the moment of the next big creative idea and over-committing! Not that i’m very good at it – but its really important to take time out and take care of yourself.
A wet Wednesday night at The Exchange in Morecambe, a community arts centre with plans for workspaces, exhibition space and eventually, housing in neglected local buildings pic.twitter.com/10AyTa0U9X
— Far Nearer (@far_nearer) 14 February 2018
6. What drives you when it gets hard?
Taking a quick imaginary step outside of myself, stripping back the showcase of exhibitions and creative happenings and appreciating the simple things.
The Exchange has become a third place, a home from home, a lifeline for many. Human connection is the most powerful medium of all. It’s very valuable for me to appreciate the fundamentals of the place, the friendships that have been made, collaborations that have happened and events we’ve pulled off. Looking at how far we have come and the possibilities of how far we could go.
“The Exchange has become a third place, a home from home, a lifeline for many.”
7. What’s the next step?
What began as a simple need for more physical space to enable us to meet demand for workshops and events has grown in to a much wider vision for the area.
We are in the process of setting up a Community Benefit Society and Community Land Trust which will see us launch a community share offer in the near future.
Over the last year we have been negotiating use and ownership of a listed, part-derelict church last used over 17 years ago opposite our existing venue.
We also began a conversation with the local council about another under-utilised building in the area as a potential interim option.
These ongoing conversations have very much informed our thinking and direction of the organisation. We hope to see these buildings brought back to community use and ownership. One is a department store [that we plan to make] home for community minded businesses. The other is a visual arts destination and community hub.
Community ownership is very important to us.
For a while we weighed up widening the membership of our CIC and changing the articles to reflect the democratic nature and reality of the organisation; whilst frustrating and mind boggling at times the journey we’ve been on has enabled us to reach this point of clarity and understand the potential these buildings could play both physically and philosophically as vehicles for community led-regeneration in the area.
8. How did you vote in the EU referendum and why?
Remain. I’m a big believer that we’re better together whether thats our amongst our streets, neighbourhoods, cities, countries, world, the universe….
It’s as though the grounding values of co-operation, unity and partnership that the EU stands for are being revoked and that doesn’t sit right with me.
9. How will the outcome affect what you do?
I worry we will see more divisions within our community. It will only make us more determined to continue to find new ways of working and collaborating to create alternatives and better opportunities for people.
The Community Benefit Society is not only focussed on managing and owning property but also seeks to provide a robust infrastructure offering business support for social enterprises, such as admin, accounting and legal services.
Locally there is an increasing movement of people seeking their own solutions to problems. It’s an exciting time.
The energy and commitment of the community can be seen in the recent formation of the Morecambe Community Collective which came about after the ITV news reports disclosing the extent of child poverty and deprivation in the area.
Over the last couple of years we have seen an emergence of several community minded initiatives from food waste redistributing groups, a music project, theatre, a kitchen collective, tool library and many more.
Similar to how a singular venue does not make a resort a destination, one project alone will not hold the solutions to creating a better future for the area – so I’m feeling really optimistic. Hopefully we can find ways of working together to make real lasting change.
“Locally there is an increasing movement of people seeking their own solutions.”
10. What would you say to someone looking to do something similar?
Do it and do it with others. It is them who will keep you going when times get tough.
Be prepared for a long slog thats very rewarding and worthwhile.
11. What does community mean to you?
Friendship, family and a sense of belonging.
My friend Rosie Tacon-Glass a community artist and frequent collaborator wrote a fantastic piece: “Community isn’t a dirty word”. It’s still very relevant.
