Community Takeover

Community Takeover opened at the John Hansard Gallery on 25 June and runs until 18 September, a long stretch that gives you plenty of time to work your way through it. It's a celebration of the ideas and talents of Southampton's own, and the whole thing centres on one theme: care. They're looking at it from a few different angles — self-care, caring for each other, and caring for the environment we live in.

Gallery One has been turned into a creative space for exploring, listening, and resting, and you're invited to get involved. There are questions there about what care means to you and what you care about most, and you can leave your own answers. It's less of a 'look but don't touch' kind of exhibition and more of a place to sit with the ideas and add your own voice to the mix.

One of the main things to see is A Public Infrastructure, Soundscale, a meeting space created by Alexandra (Sasha) Anikina and Angela YT Chan. It starts with a question — 'To what extent are...' — and leaves you to take it from there. The wider programme brings together exhibitions, workshops, and activities, and it's a collaboration between the gallery, various community groups across the city, and academics from the University of Southampton. The full line-up of what's on will be announced as it goes via the gallery's social media, so it's worth keeping an eye on those if you want to catch the workshops.

It's open to everyone — families, people who follow contemporary art, and anyone interested in a bit of social reflection. The gallery is at 142-144 Above Bar Street, SO14 7DU, and opening times vary, so check them before you head in. It runs until 18 September, so there's no rush to get there in one go.