Exhibition Pieces of Us

16th July – 7th August 2025

FREE

A growing still life and art exhibition about everyday strength and resilience. You can take part by bringing an object that matters to you and creating your own drawing, writing or artwork while you’re here.

No need to book. Just turn up!

Pieces of Us

An evolving living exhibition about community resilience

Creative project / Exhibition at Ark-T, Summer 2025

Pieces of Us – is an evolving exhibition that celebrates the resilience of people. Built gradually over the summer, it invites individuals and families to contribute a meaningful object that represents a time when they found strength in difficulty, adapted to challenge, or needed to be resilient.

At the heart of the exhibition is a large-scale community still life — a growing installation made from donated everyday objects. Each object will be accompanied by a handwritten label and a personal story, shared by the person who contributed it, telling us about the moment it represents to them.

Together, these objects and stories form a quiet but powerful portrait of the local community’s courage, perseverance, and hope. They show that resilience is everywhere, it’s something many of us carry, quietly, every day.

The walls surrounding the still life installation will gradually fill with creative responses inspired by the objects. Each day and during workshops visitors will be invited to create responses to the exhibition. With materials provided. All contributions will be welcomed and displayed as part of the evolving exhibition, creating a collaborative and ever-growing celebration of community creativity and resilience. 

Contribute an Object

People are invited to bring in an item that connects to:

• A time you overcame a challenge
• An experience of grief, illness, or change
• A moment when you found unexpected strength
• A person or act of kindness that helped you keep going
• A decision that marked a turning point in your life
• A memory that brings you peace or joy
• A place or object that makes you feel at home
• A creative spark or inspiration that stayed with you
• A celebration of something you’ve achieved
• A symbol of hope, healing, or growth

Examples might include a worn-out pair of shoes from a difficult journey, a memento from a hospital stay, a gift that lifted your spirits, or something homemade that helped you stay grounded. If the original object is too valuable or fragile, you can bring a photo, drawing, written description, or creative representation of it.

Each object will be displayed with:

• A handwritten label sharing the contributor’s first name (if they wish)
• A short description about what the object represents and how it connects to a moment of resilience

Prompts and writing support will be available to help contributors reflect and write.

Please note: Although we will make every effort to protect the objects in the exhibition, contributors will be asked to sign a form acknowledging that Ark-T cannot take responsibility for items. Valuable or sentimental items should be represented symbolically.

Interaction opportunities:

As the still life grows, it becomes a source of inspiration:

• Drawing: Visitors of all ages can spend time in the welcome space drawing or writing responses in response to the still life or focus on a single object or their own object. (lots of materials and papers on offer)
• Workshops – potentially held by ark-t staff over the summer or freelance artists (may be too expensive), during groups and at a community lunch? 
• Writing Prompts: Poetry, prose, or reflective journaling inspired by the objects or tags.
• Community Sketchbooks: Open books for anyone to leave drawings or writing in
• Poetry & Writing Groups: Invited to visit and respond creatively to the evolving installation.
• Local Art Groups and artists: Encouraged to use the space for still life practice or creative response sessions.
• Families can visit over the holidays – listed in free activities pages for the summer 

The contributions will be displayed around the space — forming an ever-changing wall of community responses in drawing and writing. – simply stuck up with tape by visitors or Ark-T staff. 

Pieces of Us offers an inclusive exploration of resilience — as it’s lived by everyday people. The project aims to:

• Celebrate the strength and resourcefulness of our community
• Offer a platform for people to share and honour their own stories
• Help visitors connect with others through shared experience
• Support emotional wellbeing through creative reflection
• Provide free, accessible family activities during the summer holidays
• Build intergenerational understanding and connection through storytelling