Artists are bringing empty shops to life, offering people unique shopping experiences and revitalising town centres. Aida Edemariam explains how.
Meanwhile seems such a bland word. Ostensibly, it is a scrap of time between one event and another. But in every hard-boiled thriller, it is where the real excitement lies: meanwhile, our hero shimmied down the drainpipe; meanwhile, on the other side of town …
… there’s an empty shop. Businesses have gone bust. They haven’t been able to pay business rates; they haven’t been able to compete with Amazon; the way we make and buy things has changed so radically, so fast, and they haven’t been able to keep up. Or a shopping centre has opened not far away and the trade has moved there or collapsed because of the competition. Or a developer has bought the space but has not figured out what to do with it or is awaiting planning permission. Whatever the reason, it’s empty...Keep reading on The Guardian
Meanwhile seems such a bland word. Ostensibly, it is a scrap of time between one event and another. But in every hard-boiled thriller, it is where the real excitement lies: meanwhile, our hero shimmied down the drainpipe; meanwhile, on the other side of town …
… there’s an empty shop. Businesses have gone bust. They haven’t been able to pay business rates; they haven’t been able to compete with Amazon; the way we make and buy things has changed so radically, so fast, and they haven’t been able to keep up. Or a shopping centre has opened not far away and the trade has moved there or collapsed because of the competition. Or a developer has bought the space but has not figured out what to do with it or is awaiting planning permission. Whatever the reason, it’s empty... Keep reading on The Guardian