People United’s Kind Places & Spaces project explores the positive impact that creative art & design can have in community spaces. We’re particularly interested in looking at how these creative interventions might spread positive messages, bring people together and encourage communities to think or behave in a pro-social way.

In the Summer of 2020 we published an open call for ideas, asking people to tell us how they might spend a day or two imagining and designing new visual and physical creative artworks and other interventions that could positively influence human behaviour in shared spaces. The responses were wide-ranging and inspirational, so much so that we increased the number of micro commissions awarded from three to six exciting proposals from a group of talented artists who have kickstarted our exploration into  positive place-based interventions.

We are thrilled to be sharing the results of the commissions, here on our website, between 14th September and  8th October 2020. We will be unveiling exciting new visual artworks, design drawings, poetry, writing and more – so keep checking in with People United on our social media channels to see the incredible designs and ideas.

People United hope to further develop the Kind Places & Spaces project by realising some of the commissioned ideas in collaboration with the commissioned artists. If you think you could help us with this next step – please get in touch with People United by emailing [email protected]

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Bernadette Russell: Blue skies, jetpacks and hope
Playful, homemade billboards that invite you to consider your hopes for the future and take the first steps towards that brighter tomorrow. View Bernadette’s project by clicking here. 


(c) Bernadette Russell 2020

Amanda Moore: Social Space
A toolkit for ‘do it yourself’  temporary street markings that play with the choreography of people’s movement, promoting conversation and physical engagement with public spaces, while supporting social distancing. View Amanda’s project by clicking here.

(c) Amanda Moore, 2020

Ella Heather Moore:
A soaring architectural seating structure for urban public spaces, inspiring people to gather, interact and converse. View Ella’s project by clicking here. 

Illustration of a paved open space in a town or city centre. There are buildings and trees lining the space. In the centre are people walking around, sitting and talking to each other. A semi-translucent blue structure has been drawn into the space, some parts suitable for sitting on, some parts spanning the space over people's heads. Along the side of the image are three circles, each depicting an aspect of the structure in more detail. They aren't clear enough for detail in this image but each is displayed individually, with their own alt-text in this blog post.

(c) Ella Heather Moore and Jessica Gardner, 2020

 

Rob Young: The Shop of Kindness
A proposal for transforming an empty retail space into a welcoming, accessible Shop of Kindness where voluntary acts of generosity are traded and donated as if they were goods. View Rob’s project by clicking here.

The line drawing seen above but with pink-circled numbers as follows 1 - by the indoor tables and chairs, 2 - by the postcard sized papers on the far wall, 3 - by the postcard-sized papers on the near wall, 4 - by the tree in the rear of the shop

(c) Rob Young, 2020

Jemma Channing: Kindness Dispenser
Designs for a unique ticket machine which dispenses free tokens printed with altruistic tasks  and acts of kindness for the recipient to complete. View Jemma’s project by clicking here.

(c) Jemma Channing, 2020

Neelam & Adrian Saredia-Brayley: Kindfulness Space
A proposition for a dedicated Kindfulness Space to be incorporated into spaces where the public gather to wait –  such as airports, train stations, shopping centres. The proposal includes design layout, soundscapes, poetry, guided meditation and photography. View Neelam and Adrian’s project by clicking here.

A digital image depicting an open space shown from above, with seats and wheelchair spaces facing north, south, east and west, curved screens and multiple large plants.

(c) Neelam and Adrian Saredia-Brayley, 2020

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