Our Freedom: Then & Now is a national creative programme led by Future Arts Centres, marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War by inviting communities across the UK to reflect on what freedom means today. At Queen’s Hall Arts, the project centred on a new collaboration with veterans, cadets and active service members connected to RAF Spadeadam, exploring ideas of freedom across time, personal, political, collective, and future-facing. Inspired by Simon Armitage’s commissioned poem Freedom Road, participants shared stories, reflections, and memories which shaped a new collage poem, Sky, Sea and Land, forming the basis of Freedom: Reframed, a series of six augmented reality (AR) artworks.

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As lead artist, I designed and delivered a creative process combining collage, digital experimentation, and AR to co-create artworks with participants. Their words, images and ideas informed both the poem and the visual compositions that activate through the Artivive app, bringing static collages to life through animation and sound. The project culminated in a public launch at Queen’s Hall, featuring a film screening, interactive AR activity, Q&A panel, and community celebration. The poetry and artwork were designed as a 6 postcard series, posted out to 5000 homes in Northumberland to encourage further engagement with the project. A public exhibition featuring the final poetry and artwork, a commissioned film, photography and collages and creative writing work created by participants was installed at Queen's Hall Arts from January to March 2026.