Embedded Files
Inviting creative public participation in an historic building on the eve of its refurbishment and adaptive reuse as a hub for music in South Yorkshire.
September – October 2025 / Canada House, Sheffield / In partnership with Harmony Works
Live Works were invited back to Canada House by Harmony Works to mark the Castlegate Festival and Heritage Open Days 2025, as the final plans for its refurbishment and conversion into a new regional home for youth music education are developed for closure in 2026.
We designed and constructed an installation and curated a programme of events to creatively inhabit the space as a 'Pop-Up Urban Room' for the duration of the Festival, with 6 days of activities inviting members of the public to (1) critically consider the history of Canada House, (2) experience its present condition in a variety of ways, and (3) help to co-create its potential future(s).
The current proposals for the building were displayed alongside a rolling programme of exhibition material exploring the histories of the building and the area. Projections were made onto the walls of the Grade II* listed interior, models of the proposed spaces were made available to the public via VR headsets, and various history tours, workshops and nature walks were hosted by volunteers from Harmony Works and MArch students from the School of Architecture and Landscape. Activities included seedbomb making, clay impressions, and music performances from young local musicians.
Alongside these, the programme invited contributions from a host of local partners, including:
Emily Pieters - Director, Harmony Works
Simon Ogden - Chair, Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust
Tom Crathorne - Musician, recording/mix artist, host of Sheffield Soundwalkers group
Robin Hughes - Local historian, Joined Up Heritage Sheffield
Tom Moore - Architect and University Teacher, Liverpool John Moores University
Matt Beaumont - Project Architect (Harmony Works), Evans Vettori Architects
Liam Heeley and Sam Lodder-Knowles - Researchers, SAL
Young musicians from Sheffield Music Hub and Concerteenies groups
John and Leslie - Local historians and volunteers, Harmony Works
The event was captured by filmmaker Mo Khizr as part of a wider production about the work of Live Works in the Castlegate area.
Live Works conducted an evaluation of the various data collected throughout the residency, including a huge bank of drawings, photographs and other creative media, alongside visitor surveys. These were collated into an engagement report (see links below).
Related projects:
Link: Pop-Up Urban Room Engagement Report >
Watch the Film: From Dream to Reality: Harmony Works >
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