Placemaking with poetry

Barnsley Museums adopted two unloved Listed red phone boxes in the town centre and transformed them into works of art telling stories of the town’s heritage with words by the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.

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This case study is part of a series from the LGA Culture Commission

The project is part of the Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) funded by Historic England and Barnsley Council which seeks to unlock the potential of high streets across England, fuelling economic, social and cultural recovery, encouraging people to 'say Hi! to the high street', and breathe new life into it for future generations. The project is part of the wider regeneration of Barnsley Town Centre. 

The challenge

Our 2014 Town Centre Prospectus had four clear ambitions for the long term sustainability of Barnsley Town Centre. We knew we wanted to create a space that was ‘more than just retailing’; investing for the longer term; creating an ‘Intelligent Barnsley’ and a “local and distinctive” Barnsley.  

What we wanted to do: 

  • provide a fully inclusive, vibrant and sustainable Town Centre that residents can be proud of

  • address significant gaps in terms of retail and leisure offer 

  • drive up footfall and consumer spend 

  • provide a catalyst for the future regeneration of the wider Borough.

Over a 5 year period the Council have successfully delivered: 

  • a world class nationally recognised state of the art public library: 'Library @ Lightbox'

  • a reinvigorated 21st Century Barnsley Market and Market Kitchen offer supporting independent retail and hospitality businesses 

  • thirteen screen cinemas and bowling offer complemented with a wider leisure offer

  • a dedicated a fully inclusive NHS walk in Community Diagnostic Centre / clinic 

  • around 470 space multi storey car park 

  • new public square and extensive renewed areas of town centre public realm 

  • thirty-nine retail units with an occupational tenancy rate of over 90 per cent achieved to date.

Whilst large areas of the town centre have been transformed by this new leisure and retail complex, some key historic gateways to the town centre in the conservation area such as Eldon Street remain neglected and in dire need of investment. Eldon Street was first laid out in the 1840s and quickly became an important gateway to the town, with the first railway station opening on Eldon Street in 1850. Eldon Street also quickly became a commercial and cultural hub, with bustling theatres, shops, pubs and markets. Today Eldon Street forms an important link between the Old Town and the new Glass Works development. However, as with many historic high streets, the area has faced challenges in recent years. The HSHAZ is helping to rejuvenate Eldon Street and improve connectivity within the town centre. 

The solution

Barnsley Museums transformed two previously historic listed phoneboxes into cultural assets, including a new high profile ‘Tellapoem’ art installation, featuring a bespoke piece of work by the poet laureate Simon Armitage, created as part of the Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone.  

A traditional red telephone box in disrepair

This contributes directly to the following key aim within the current council plan (2021-24): People have a welcoming, safe and enjoyable town centre and principal towns as destinations for work, shopping, leisure and culture

There are two iconic red K6 phone boxes on Church Street. By October 2021 they were in a very poor condition, attracting anti-social behaviour, including graffiti and drug dealing. BT offered them to Barnsley Council for £1 as part of their telephone box adoption scheme. The boxes are both grade 2 listed, so cannot legally be removed or altered without planning permission and listed building consent.  

The council adopted both boxes after BT removed their telephony equipment. Since adoption the boxes have been restored, repaired and painted, with support from the High Street Heritage Action Zone, and new locks added to the doors to stop their use for anti-social behaviour.  

The transformed ‘Tellapoem’ box has become a temporary poetry exhibition featuring a bespoke new work by the poet laureate Simon Armitage from his residency with the Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone. The poem ‘Hebrew Visitor’ tells of an encounter with a moth in a disused telephone box on Eldon Street:

“What are you doing here,

hunched in the widow frame 

of this defunct phone box? 

Was it the cold flame 

of fluorescent light 

that brought you rowing 

over purple loosestrife, 

buckthorn and rowan” 

The graphic design and installation is by Barnsley artist Patrick Murphy. It will remain in place until the end of September and has raised a lot of interest. 

 A traditional red telephone box with a window vinyl containing the words Hebrew Character, Simon Armitage and a picture of a moth (relating to the poem)

The impact

This case study shows how a creative approach can transform previously problematic spaces with a negative impact on the town centre into cultural assets for the town, benefiting residents and visitors. It provides direct evidence of how culture is at the heart of the renaissance of our high streets. Along with a wider range of creative initiatives in the town centre including new galleries, digital spaces, festivals and events it’s showing how culture is attracting footfall to the high street, generating spend, creating civic pride and making the case for how critical culture is to the post-pandemic high street.  

The HSHAZ project is raising the profile of the conservation area and transforming perceptions.

How is the new approach being sustained?

The telephone boxes have been adopted by Barnsley Council and Barnsley Museums are curating them as part of their core programme going forward. The other box has recently been used to promote an exhibition in experience in Barnsley Town Hall about the Slazenger tennis ball factory, once based in the town. It included a public, live streamed challenge to guess how many tennis balls it would take to fill the telephone box! We are working with other poets and artists to create an ongoing programme for the space. 

Lessons learned

How taking a small risk of adopting the phone boxes for £1 from BT the Council has been able to address anti-social behavior, save two listed structures in the town centre’s conservation area and use a creative approach to deal with a problem. It has shown that the council’s strategy for the town centre goes beyond just a new build and development, but that it is also about creating a sense of place celebrating the town’s proud history whilst taking a contemporary and creative approach. 

Contact

Jon Finch, Head of Culture & Visitor Economy, Barnsley Council. Email: [email protected]