In the Shops Now!
 

In the Shops Now! was a month-long residency programme, during which artists developed projects in three recently vacated shops in a semi-open-air shopping centre. During the residency, each artist worked in a specific shop, instigating collective performances and developing installations, which were displayed for a further month.

Artists: Leo Fitzmaurice, Martin Hamblen, Teresa and Dominique Hodgson-Holt
Locations: St John’s Centre, Preston
Years: 2009
Partners: CBRE Ltd, St John’s Shopping Centre
Funders: Arts Council of England

Heuristic by Martin Hamblen

During his residency, Martin Hamblen worked from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, constructing a ‘tunnel’, which ran through the middle of his shop, and creating a series of films and interactive installations. Shoppers were invited to chat with the artist, or leave him messages, which informed his subsequent activities in the space.

Red by Teresa & Dominique Hodgson-Holt

During their residency, Teresa and Dominique Hodgson-Holt created an alternative shop, where customers took part in a unique performance by temporarily exchanging their clothes for red outfits and taking a walk through Preston city centre. The project cumulated in a Red flash mob, during which 30 people, dressed entirely in red, walked through the city’s streets, squares and shopping centres. Following their residency, Teresa and Dominique developed the project in Bury, Greater Manchester, where they took over a stall at The World Famous Bury Market.

Archigraph by Leo Fitzmaurice


During his residency, Leo Fitzmaurice transformed the frontage of one of the centre’s externally-facing shops into a modern-day stained glass window, which was illuminated at night.

In Certain Places

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University of Central Lancashire
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