We’re moving into the third week at our Ladywood shop. It’s good to see the place being used, people are dropping in, having a cup of tea – quick or slow – and moving on. We had confirmation of our Arts Council England funding, which is fantastic news. Visit Hybrid’s home page to read about the arts commissions that we can now offer.
We’re starting to see regulars. Today we met our upstairs neighbours, which was great. We had tea and cake – a nice panettone was on the menu.
In talking to passers by, it’s great that they recognise that the tearoom is something to remark upon – something remarkable, a shop that’s somewhat different to other spaces on the local high street. We want to encourage people to look again, as they walk past the shop and to see the local high street in a new, different, way. We also want their experience when they come into our pop tearoom to be something that little bit different, something to be remarked upon . Remarkable.
In marketing speak and thinking, that’s quite an aim. There are countless products that strive to be remarkable. They seek to do this by changing the way that we see what could be considered everyday objects, by placing them somewhere new, somewhere different. The reason for this is that we are curious , we like the new and interesting, it’s the reason why we are willing to engage and consume to the extent that we do (does your mascara volumize, your shampoo have an advanced Aquacurrent system – no! Why on earth not?).
This was one of our conversations in the tearoom today. We were talking to a local resident who’s interested in sustainability and how well we as human beings are really taking on board the need for sustainability. We are consuming the earth’s resources at a galloping rate. But we don’t have to. The things that can fill our curiosity don’t have to be about buying – consuming stuff that all to quickly becomes landfill fodder.
They can be creative engagements, such as we’re offering with Inhabit. They can be about enjoying learning, engaging in a creative process, crafts, photography, arts and participation, learning about the world around us, about the people that live next door. Discovering what makes each other tick could satisfy our curiosity, could be remarkable, without costing us the earth. With Inhabit our aim is for our conversations and creative engagement to be remarked upon. I’d like us to provoke thinking about social spaces, to improve relationships within communities and with our planet. To do this best, I think we need greater creative facilitation that engages us all in an enjoyable learning and discovery process.
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