A unique 12-year old creative technology programme which has achieved international recognition and acclaim, the tenantspin operates as a community outreach programme and Internet TV channel co-managed by FACT, Arena Housing Association (a Northwest-based housing Association) and Liverpool residents.
Operating under the premise that creativity and innovation can help address important issues such as community cohesion and civic participation the project encourages residents across Merseyside to partake in democratic and cultural processes, creating a social value structure where creativity is seen as an alternative value system for people who are living their lives outside of working environments (elderly people, young people, young parents, people who are unable to work, long-term unemployed).
tenantspin began as a one-off project against the backdrop of a very defined issue in late 1990s Liverpool, 'what happens when you break up Liverpool's tower block community and relocate thousands of pensioners into new houses and schemes?'. A group of dedicated residents worked with Danish Artist collective Superflex to develop a framework through which to represent their views in relation to this subject. The project was a success and quickly grew beyond the 'tower block agenda' to became a very powerful platform within social housing circles and cultural agendas. tenantspin continues today, mobilising groups of people around a variety of social issues, using the Internet and creativity as a vehicle for change.
In an ever-changing social, political and economic environment, tenantspin has critically been able to maintain its particular purpose andrelevance, embracing new technologies and pro-actively responding to the changing needs of its partners, tenant collaborators and audiences. Pre-dating the social media explosion of the mid to late noughties, the project is a key example of the lasting power of community media within a variety of contexts.
For more information about tenantspin's past and current projects, take a look at the projects section on the website. tenantspin also has its very own website.
