On Sunday 7 September from 11am to 2pm, Barnsley Civic will be hosting our first Garden Gathering in Mandela Gardens from 11am to 2pm.
Grab a picnic and join us for a knees up to kick off our Autumn/Winter season and celebrate….
Featuring live music and entertainment, street performers, lawn games and creative crafts for all the family.
Plus, this event will see the unveiling of a brand new series of banners specially commissioned by artist Cj Reay of Black Lodge Press as well as community artworks in response to ‘Freedom Road’ by Simon Armitage. Local organisations will be attending with information stands, and our new local radio station Barnsley’s Essentials will be officially launching at the event.
Our Freedom: Then and Now is a new UK-wide, locally-led arts and creative programme which will produce 60 new pieces of work reflecting on what ‘Our Freedom’ means to local people and their communities, following the 80th anniversary of VE/VJ Day.
We look forward to bringing together members of our Civic family to celebrate Barnsley’s rich legacy of mutual aid and collective action.
In partnership with Creative Recovery, Barnsley Food Bank and Honeywell Good Food Pantry. We will be hosting a food bank collection on the day so feel free to being a donation if you can.
Our Freedom: Then and Now is supported by the UK Government through Arts Council England and delivered in partnership with Libraries Connected.
For further info visit;
About FAC
Future Arts Centres (FAC) is a national network of over 170 arts centres across the UK. FAC champions the role of arts centres as vital public spaces that foster creativity, community, and cultural expression. In 2023, FAC became a registered company and an Arts Council England IPSO, providing sector support and leadership.
About Our Freedom: Then and Now
“Our Freedom: Then and Now”, is part of a £2 million national creative programme marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Supported by the UK Government through Arts Council England, the Future Arts Centres and Libraries Connected initiative will see 60 arts centres and libraries across Britain present community-led projects exploring the legacy of VE Day and VJ Day.
“Our Freedom: Then and Now” empowers artists, veterans and residents to explore themes of past and present freedoms through 60 creative projects, including exhibitions, performances and installations running from June to November 2025.
