Blackpool arts project shortlisted for prestigious award

Wash Your Words at the Langdale Library and Laundry Room on Mereside is in the running for the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Journal’s MacEwen Award, celebrating architecture and design for the common good.

It is the only North West project to be shortlisted, alongside 11 others from across the UK.

The concept for Wash Your Words came from long standing work in the area by LeftCoast, which delivers arts projects across Blackpool.

Architects Lee Ivett and Ecaterina Stefanescu, who lecture at UCLAN’s Grenfell-Baines Institute of Architecture, co-designed andconstructed the space with a group of residents, volunteers and representatives from Blackpool Council’s library services and Blackpool Coastal Housing.

Tina Redford, LeftCoast’s artistic director, said: “To be shortlisted alongside such innovative designs in the likes of London, Newcastle, and Belfast is wonderful.

“Lee and Ecaterina, as well as our creative producer Laura Jamieson have been the driving force behind Wash Your Words, and alongside our community volunteers in Mereside, they have created a space that is genuinely unique.

“The tenacity and commitment everyone has put into this project is commendable and we are so proud the hard work is being recognised nationally.”

The project brings together a library, laundry room and artist workshops to create a shared sense of community.

Wash Your Words was produced and commissioned by LeftCoast with funding from Blackpool Coastal Housing, as well as Arts Council England and The National Lottery Community Fund.

It opened in August 2022 and already has more than 25 local families signed up to use the Laundry Room. LeftCoast has since curated a programme of free artist workshops taking place every Wednesday afternoon.

Laura Jamieson from LeftCoast added: “With support from our partners at Blackpool Coastal Housing and Blackpool Council library service, it has been brilliant to occupy a space where different artists can share their skills and knowledge with local residents.

“We have used our Workshop Wednesday programme to explore creative and fun ways people might live more sustainably by growing, making, and mending.”

RIBA judge and founder of Hayatsu Architects, Takeshi Hayatsu, personally endorsed “the direct involvement of the architects in its construction.”

While fellow judge and 2021’s MacEwen Award winner Anthony Staples, called the project: “fantastic; the community built it, you can see how it was made and how informed the end result was… it responds to community needs while having a whole lot of fun doing it.”

On behalf of himself and Stefanescu, Ivett added: “We are pleased that such a unique collaboration between community, arts, architecture, and academia is being recognised.

“It means so much to us to be developing this model in the context of Blackpool.”

Dave Bannister, a community volunteer from Dads4Life, who helped on the build said: “Seeing the transformation and getting the community involved in the project has been phenomenal.”