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What if we created a space with no agenda, no hierarchy, and no expectation other than to show up and share what matters?  Five years ago, that question became IGNITE. Beginning with fifteen people in a room, face masks on, gathering in the uncertainty of a post-Covid world and wondering whether there was another way.  What followed was not a typical event series, but an evolving conversation shaped by audience interaction.

Without agenda, IGNITE became an open forum exploring creativity across emerging work patterns, enterprise, technology, and new ways of thinking. It brought together unlikely pairings — a poet and a product designer, an accountant and a community leader, a game developer and a broadcaster.

Over its short existence, IGNITE has delivered 13 events, 70 talks, 63 speakers and welcomed over 500 attendees, with an ever-expanding wider collective spanning a variety of disciplines. Built around short, punchy talks from inspiring speakers, it sparked thought and energy, while the room shaped discussion and, as an audience, we adventured together.

Through themed conversations such as IGNITE in Nature, IGNITE Disrupt, IGNITE in Play and Climate & Cocktails, ideas were framed and friendships formed. Through IGNITE’s many incarnations, collaborations, projects and partnerships have been forged. The real question came when we asked ourselves… what if we did more than just talk about great ideas, but instead focused on making things happen? This became the shift — from “what if” to “how do we?”

The call to action came in the form of more structured and sequenced sessions such as IGNITE Craft, Collaborate & Create, exploring how individual practices and micro-businesses could contribute, turning reflection into practical action. From IGNITE’s collective energy comes See Space Differently.

See Space Differently CIC is a visual arts and architecture-led placemaking community interest company that provides understanding, tools and turnkey delivery services for activating space through creative practice and collaboration. SSD brings together creative consultancy, a knowledge base, a public-facing studio and a delivery network, offering end-to-end cultural programming from concept to completion.

At SSD’s heart is the same team of experienced professionals and practitioners who helped galvanise IGNITE — the same growing collective of collaborators, associates and creative partners who now contribute to both projects and delivery.  SSD actively encourages professionals to contribute to a shared knowledge bank, making their skills, experience and expertise more accessible, transferable and usable for others, empowering people to understand and transform the spaces around them.

We’ve done this before — This Too Will Pass gathered our thoughts, IGNITE brought us together, and through See Space Differently we can shape our place.

It’s time to ignite, and to see space differently.

What if we created places where people can come together? High streets, meanwhile spaces, urban environments and empty shops becoming active sites for culture, learning and collaboration.

In Salisbury, this begins with Shape & Shift on 2nd May outside the Guildhall, followed by workshops, installations, and collaborative delivery in different locations throughout the month.

See Space Differently CIC launches this July.

Thank you for all the support and collaborations so far. As a newly formed community interest company, we will rely on funding to grow. If our mission resonates, we invite you to get involved, spread the word and support.

SUSCRIBE on our website to be the first to know what comes next. www.seespacedifferently.co.uk

SUPPORT… as a newly formed CIC, we rely on funding to grow. If this resonates, get involved, spread the word, and support the PILOT

& SHARE… please share with those you think would like to support and get involved.

Follow @seespacedifferently

Planning permission has been granted to provide a new face and dedicated bar/café to Salisbury City Hall, marking an important step in the ongoing revival of the venue and its contribution to the city. Working as design consultants, Scrace Architects supported the owner’s vision by helping shape the proposals, the change of use and new bi-fold doors “providing active frontage to Fisherton Street”, a key aim behind the project.

The move to establish the Fisherton Street side of the City Hall takes advantage of the street’s high pedestrian activity and its direct link to Salisbury Railway Station. The redesigned frontage is intended to make City Hall easier to navigate while giving it a stronger presence within the city’s commercial and cultural flow. The addition of a new bar and café will introduce a lively street-level space for audiences, visitors and those passing by.

Since reopening, around half of all ticket sales of the venue have come from people travelling in from outside Salisbury. Justin Britchford, owner of the City Hall, said the new plans build on that trajectory: “We’re already welcoming large numbers of people from outside the city, and these improvements will help us build on that. The café space and overall improvements will make City Hall easier to find and more inviting for visitors, which in turn gives a real boost to the city and the businesses around it.”

Scrace Architects has helped refine the vision for City Hall’s renewed identity while respecting the building’s Art Deco character. Tim Scrace, Scrace Architects, said the project focused on reconnecting the building with the life of the street. “Our aim has been to support the City Hall team in bringing new life to this well-loved venue while retaining the character people recognise.”

Together, new lighting, signage and a view through will draw attention to the rejuvenation of this space, helping the City Hall build on its cultural heritage within the city, supporting footfall, activity and the wider vibrancy of Salisbury.

Scrace Architects is a design-led studio rooted in art, architecture and community, known for revitalising existing buildings with a quiet sensitivity that honours both place and purpose. The practice works across cultural, civic and commercial settings to shape welcoming, flexible and connected spaces enriching the way people experience their environment.