RivelinCo is a neighbourhood arts centre without walls, proudly based in Hillsborough and working across North Sheffield. We make and curate arts activities and do civic and community work, just like a building-based arts centre, except our programme takes place in parks, supermarkets, community centres, high streets, car parks, empty shops, libraries, schools, and care homes - temporarily transforming them into theatres, cinemas, galleries, workshops, classrooms and forums.
We create and curate exciting shows, projects and events in unexpected places.
We lead creative workshops that bring together people of all ages and walks of life to learn new skills.
We collaborate creatively with local people, artists, businesses, and community organisations.
We share ideas from around the world: thinking globally and acting locally.
Our projects are about people, and place. We celebrate. We question. We play.
We believe access to culture is a human right, and our definition of culture is broad: our remit includes gardening, cooking, crafts, cinema, languages and sports as often as it includes theatre, dance, music and visual arts.
Our approach is inclusive, intergenerational and environmentally sustainable. We prioritise respect, kindness and care: for our community, for our team, for our collaborators, and for the planet.
Past Projects
All Lit Up
We commissioned local designer Ruby Fox to design and co-create a 'model village' of Sheffield using recycled materials. She worked with local children and families during half term to create Sheffield's famous landmarks out of cardboard, which she then built into 3D buildings and presented as an illuminated installation in Hillsborough Park. The scene was displayed after dark as part of All Lit Up, a community event managed by the Friends of Hillsborough Park.
Hillsborough Parkive
Between April and September 2021 we built a community-generated archive for Hillsborough Park. We collected memories, stories, images and research from local people and city archives, as part of Age UK Sheffield’s coach house renovation project. We worked with over 600 people through 6 strands of creative heritage activities in S6. This project was commissioned by Age UK Sheffield with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the University of Sheffield.
Park Life
Inspired by the Hillsborough Parkive, we devised and co-created Park Life: an outdoor promenade performance which brought the characters from Hillsborough Park’s history to life. The performance, directed by Sally Proctor and designed by Heledd Rees, featured four professional actors alongside 14 community performers. The show was performed on 9 and 10 October 2021 to audiences of 400+ in the park, including community groups, families, and local people of all ages.
Intergenerational Poetry Picnics
In November 2021 we began testing the model for intergenerational poetry picnics, ahead of a Sheffield schools and care homes tour in 2022/23. Poetry picnics are interactive performances led by celebrated poet and children’s author Simon Mole and musician Gecko, which invite audiences to pen and perform their own poems too. The Sheffield picnics will be performed in schools, and a group of young poets will be selected to join the group and tour the show to care homes in the same area. We piloted this project at Northfield Nursing Home in S6, and co-created a beautiful song about dancing at city hall with residents there. The project also supports legacy work between schools and care homes, to continue future intergenerational working.
Family Foraging Walks
In October 2021 we launched our first Family Foraging walk, which invites families to explore their local green spaces and find out about the many different varieties of plants, berries and fungi grow there - including whether they are edible, medicinal or useful in other ways. The first walk took place in Rivelin Valley and was led by James and Daniele from The Edible Year.
Stocksbridge Schools Workshops
In August 2021 we were delighted to run creative workshops with young people transitioning from primary to secondary school in Stocksbridge. Sessions included art, drama and animation.
Featured image: printmaking workshop led by Samantha Groom.