JohnTwo community projects from Leeds are among those featured in the Museum of Broken Dreams, a powerful exhibition in Parliament running until 4th September.
The Museum, designed by the We’re Right Here campaign, tells the stories of community-led projects that could have transformed lives but never reached their potential. These projects weren’t held back by a lack of ideas or dedication, but by a system that makes it difficult for community initiatives to succeed.
The Leeds projects featured are:
- The garden that never grew: A community organisation in Gipton, East Leeds, was approached by the council to create a joyful, shared community garden where residents could grow food, gather, and host events, and the idea gathered lots of momentum. The dream fell apart for lots of reasons including poor communication between council departments. Residents were left disheartened and trust in the council shaken.
- Laying bricks but hitting walls: Frontline Self-Build was a community organisation in Chapeltown, which aimed to help people of colour, low-income households, and the LGBTQ+ community access quality housing through self-build projects. By designing and building their own homes, minoritised communities would gain both secure housing and valuable skills. A lack of confidence in community-led housing and paternalistic culture within the council meant that the innovative self-build model developed by Frontline wasn’t replicated, and other neighbourhoods were denied the opportunity to benefit from its success.
The exhibition coincides with the second reading of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, a key opportunity to pass legislation that could finally shift power to local communities and unlock solutions to some of the country’s most pressing challenges.
Polling commissioned by the campaign earlier this year found that while 70% of UK adults believe that local residents and community groups have the ideas and skills to improve their neighbourhood, 82% feel they have ‘no or not much’ control over the decisions that affect their area.
Claude Hendrickson MBE, We’re Right Here Campaign Leader and Museum storyteller of the Chapeltown Frontline Self-Build project, said: “The story I shared in this exhibition shows both what’s possible when communities are trusted, and how easily opportunities can be shut down.
“Sadly, mine is just one of many stories across the country with a similar ending. For every ‘yes’ communities get, there are a million ‘nos’ – and that can be hugely discouraging for local people who simply want to make their places better. As a We’re Right Here campaign leader, I believe it’s vital these stories are told because they show why we need a system that finally listens to and supports communities, that are perfectly capable, to shape the places they love.”
Rich Bell, We’re Right Here Campaign Director, said: “It’s heartbreaking to see so many brilliant community projects that could have changed lives but never got the chance.
“These stories show the human cost of a system that sidelines local people, even when they have the skills and vision to make a difference. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is a once in a generation opportunity to put community voice at the heart of the devolution agenda.
‘If we get this right, we can unlock the creativity and energy that already exists in every town and neighbourhood across the country.”
The Museum of Broken Dreams is both a sobering reminder of opportunities lost and a hopeful call to action. By unlocking the power of local people through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, the government has the chance to ensure that future community projects aren’t broken before they begin.
Other ‘broken dreams’ included span skate parks, art and cultural hubs and much more. You can visit an online version of the museum here.
