Hidden Spire
A unique collaboration between an arts centre and a homelessness centre.
Current project (June – November 2025): Our Freedom Then and Now
Led by Future Arts Centres and supported by public funding from Arts Council England, Our Freedom: Then and Now is a UK-wide, locally-led arts and creative programme which will produce 60 new pieces of work reflecting on what ‘Our Freedom’ means to local people and their communities, following the 80th anniversary of VE/VJ Day. You can find out more about the initiative here: Home – Our Freedom.
As one of 60 arts centres selected to take part, the Old Fire Station is bringing together members of the public, partners, previous Hidden Spire Collective artists and new community connections for a series of creative sessions centred on the idea of freedom, through which we will shape a project to be shared publicly in November 2025.
Through the sessions, participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives on the theme, co-create a piece of high-quality art, have an active role in designing an artist brief and choosing the artist who will help it come to life. The final showing in November 25 could take any form – this will be up to the participants to decide.
Watch this space!
I find it just absolutely baffling and bewildering how you can walk into a room and be nurtured in such a way. I never would have thought that was going to happen to me, actually. I thought I would feel like, ‘No, you're not worthy to fit in with these sorts of people,’ you know, but this just broke that wall down. It’s the best medicine.
Atlantis participant
Hidden Spire Collective
Since 2020, we’ve been gathering a group of creative people. They came together during lockdown to make art – writing, photography, and drawing – and in 2021 they produced our Hidden Spire show, Atlantis. This group is now known as the Hidden Spire Collective.
Originally formed of Crisis members, the group brings together people from different walks of life, including people with lived experience of homelessness, to make publicly shared artwork. This could be anything – poetry readings, plays, musical performances, or art exhibitions. The Hidden Spire Collective will always decide together what kinds of artwork they make. Each project is led by a creative facilitator and a co-created with input from a professional artist.
This work builds on previous Hidden Spire projects from 2011-2020. A collaboration with Crisis Skylight Oxford, these projects brought together Crisis members with professional artists to create performances using music, dance, theatre, visual arts and more. To find out about all our Hidden Spire projects here: www.hiddenspire.co.uk
