Dear Tomorrow
DonateWolverhampton spring exhibition, UK
Dear Wolverhampton
In 2022-2023, DearTomorrow held a yearlong residency in the heart of Wolverhampton (UK) at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery museum. We co-created a dynamic series of programs and exhibits linking the region’s present, and future that engaged 20 000 people.
22,000
Visitors20,000
Community contributorsThe Story
Our first installation featured letters from our global collection, and invited Wolverhampton residents to contribute to the gallery.
Our first installation featured letters from our global collection, and invited Wolverhampton residents to contribute their voice in the gallery.
We then collabrated with local community organizations- The Boundary way Project, Gatis Community Space, The Wolverhampton School of Art, and others- to engage a broad cross-section of this diverse community. People of all ages and backgrounds wrote DearTomorrow letters and poems, created works of art, and engaged in heartfelt climate conversations.
The Outcome
We curated a participatory exhibit that brought these visions to life, and reflected a vibrant intergenerational dialogue about the future.
Community contributions were presented alongside pieces from the Wolverhampton Art Gallery collection. Original works by the Black Country painter Butler Bayliss were juxtaposed with photographic works by David Grandorge, documenting the contemporary reality of the districts Butler Bayliss painted over a century ago.
The exhibition took visitors on a journey through interactive installations, films and soundscapes, with areas for visitors to write their own letters, including an interactive phone box to record voice messages to tomorrow.
The Impact
Wolverhampton is a city with a rich and complex history at the centre of the Industrial Revolution. The exhibition- and the process of creating it – gave the community a chance to reflect on their heritage, and the possibility to make a mark on teh future.
We were overwhelmed by the positive response. Between April 2022 – February 2023, nearly 20,000 individuals participated in our co-created interdisciplinary exhibits, intergenerational programmes, and community partnerships.
More than 2200 shared their future visions through letters, poems, and works of art. And the Wolverhampton Art Gallery museum asked us to extend the run of the exhibition.
22 000
Visitors1900
Community contributionsCurated by: Sandra Freij
Set design by: Rachel Thomas
Contributing artists: David Grandorge, Kom Achall, Sandra Freij
In collaboration with the Gatis Community Space, Boundary Way project, Wolverhamton University and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
