Southend-On-Imagination: Futures of Southend

Collective imagination enables us to listen to, engage with and embody different perspectives, weave together diverse values and worldviews, and rethink what we believe is possible for now and in the future. In this imagining space, time softens and expands, stories and dreams are shared, people come together with their own worlds and leave with the gift of our shared, desired futures.

In this Session:

We will make space to share our memories, feelings, reflections, stories related to places, buildings, roads, infrastructure, and objects in Southend that are important to you, as well as collectively imagine and create visions for what it might look and feel like to be here in 2050.

Bring a photo or a drawing of your favourite bench if possible.

What we create together in this workshop will become a mini booklet and we will host a reading session at a further date to share it more widely.

This session will be hosted by Gulsen as a part of her Southend-on-Imagination commission. Please e-mail [email protected] for questions.

About Southend-on-Imagination

When the infrastructure for care and connection is eroded, how does it affect our memory of a place and sense of belonging? And what happens when we come together to see places we might have never been to or might have passed by hundreds of times from a different lens and imagine their futures by sharing diverse experiences present in Southend? 
 
Southend-on-Imagination is an artist project by Gulsen, commissioned as part of The Unlonely City that brings people in dialogue to explore how our surroundings - beyond brick and mortar - can host and impact our emotions and sense of belonging and collectively imagine how we want Southend to look and feel like in 2050.

Participation Guidelines

Anyone under 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult.

This session is organised to create a safe and respectful space for all involved. By attending this event, you are agreeing to be kind and welcoming to others; approach the walk with curiosity and creativity; be respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences; be mindful of language that may exclude or alienate. Please do not disparage others. 
 
Harassment and sexist, ableist and racist, transphobic or other prejudicial comments or behaviours will not be tolerated. We may ask you to leave the session if you fail to adhere to this code of conduct. 

About Gulsen 
Gulsen is a multi-disciplinary researcher and artist exploring collective imagination as a way to challenge, question and interrogate how modern technologies, systems, and infrastructures prioritise nebulous concepts of efficiency and growth, instead of, and often in opposition, to the real world effects these pursuits have on people. With her practice, Gulsen looks at what kinds of spaces, activities, rituals, responses, and conversations might allow us to embrace uncertainty and to come together to imagine different possible futures.

About Artist Ideas to Disrupt Loneliness 
In Autumn 2025, artists submitted their creative project ideas as part of The Unlonely City. Since then, and even before then, we’ve been thinking about how we can create unlonely cities through creativity, curiosity and just the right amount of chaos. You can find out more about what’s happening in Southend here. 
 
The Unlonely City is an arts programme disrupting loneliness, nurturing moments of solidarity, surprise and laughter. Through a series of artistic commissions, citizens assemblies, parties and public conversations. The Unlonely City takes place across Liverpool, Peterborough, and Southend, where Metal is based, to imagine what an ‘unlonely’ city could be. 
 
The Unlonely City programme is funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation as part of the Arts Award.

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