Glimpses of a Possible Future

We catch up with Jo Harvey (Sustainable Wantage) to talk about climate action and community support. From food projects to high street spaces, we discuss making a more sustainable future, one town at a time. 

A talk with Natty Mark Samuels (The African School) on education, astronomy, and community in The Leys. We discuss representation and the value of access to local spaces.

Adrian Sell (Oxford Wood Recycling) on tackling wood waste and building skills. We touch on sustainability, local community, and creating pathways into work.

We speak with Marta Lomza (CAG Oxfordshire) and Paula Fontaine (Body Mind Soul) on the power of community gardens. We explore how community gardens promote wellbeing and the need for long-term access to land.

We hear from Yasmin Sidhwa (Mandala Theatre Company) on storytelling for social justice. We get into why representation matters and how the organisation makes space for unheard voices.

Zahra Haji Fath Ali Tehrani and Lauren Corona (YWMP) on creating safer music spaces and holding space for young people to create and grow in confidence. We discuss misogyny in music and why dedicated music spaces matter.

We’re in conversation with Micaela Tuckwell (Ultimate Picture Palace) on saving Oxford’s community cinema. We discuss the importance of the UPP in the East Oxford community and how listening to multiple voices has made the cinema stronger.

We chat with Laura Harte (The Berin Centre) on building a community hub for all in Berinsfield. We explore social infrastructure, local growing, and designing spaces that truly respond to community needs.

We're back for a second season of Glimpses of a Possible Future, talking to local people doing important work around Oxfordshire. People bringing communities together and tackling some of the biggest issues of our time, rooted in place and stewarding or reanimating space.

We spoke with Alex Towler and Sammy-Jo Hagan, Co-founder and Architect at  Transition by Design,  about their role in incubating Makespace Oxford, and building a co-operative architecture practice that operates at the intersection between architecture, design and social change practice. Sammy-Jo and Alex shared the value of ‘walking the talk’ when it comes to democratising design and development....

We spoke with Deborah Glass Woodin, former local councillor, activist, occasional human bollard and current Director of  Oxfordshire Community Land Trust (OCLT) about the launch of their recent project  Croft’s Court , which has built eight new permanently affordable homes in the Vale of White Horse on a formerly vacant brownfield site.  The project hopes to bring residents together and democratis...

We spoke with Rob Sykes from the  1998 LMS Occupation  about their recent exhibition at the Community Works and the Old Fire Station, celebrating 25 years since the occupation of the former Oxford rail station. The historic Grade II * Listed building the group occupied was eventually demolished to make way for the Said Business School, funded in part by the former arms deal fixer and businessman,...

We spoke with Sarah Thorne, founding Director of  The Children’s Allotment  in Cowley, East Oxford.  The Children’s Allotment was initiated and conceived by Alice Hemming, who sadly was not able to join us for the conversation as she was recovering from COVID at the time.  Alice developed the vision, convened a passionate group of local families and negotiated a 10-year lease from Oxford City Coun...

Co-founder, Annie Davy and founding Community Manager, Makena Lohr share their journey in founding and growing Flo's as a 'phenix centre' from an idea to a team of more than 40 members. Flo's is a former Children's Centre that closed during the cuts which was revived by local residents and transformed into a community cafe, events space, refill shop, nursery and much more. Anni...

Co-founder, Andy Edwards and Communications Co-manager, Hannah Pye, explore Makespace's journey over its first five years. The conversation touches on what has been learned from the reopening of its first hub space at Aristotle Lane to adapting and expanding the model across Oxfordshire, bringing 30 buildings back into use.  Hannah and Andy reflect on the core role the growing community of res...