From the very beginning, Same Skies has been about building Regional Democracy up from the good stuff around us here. We are our own region and it’s up to us to take responsibility and make it even better. Instead of just resistance, cynicism or scepticism, we want to engage people in region building.

Our latest initiative takes us around the many markets of West Yorkshire where we have been asking people to draw maps of their own neighbourhoods, especially the good stuff, and talking about their hopes for the future of our region. Eventually we hope to put all of these maps together, building up that regional picture from below.

Our first event was at Keighley Market. On Saturday we had lots of fun at Oastler Market in Bradford. You can see many of the maps in the pictures below. You can also see for yourself the things that the passers by who stopped to draw and chat thought were significant in their neighbourhood.

It was very common for people who came to see us to talk about and draw parks, post offices, libraries, schools and shops whilst also being concerned about things closing locally (Haworth Road library) or services being reduced (street lighting in West Bowling). Some participants also expressed concern about the UK being ‘Londoncentric’ and that the vote to leave the European Union was in part a reaction against this.

Thanks to everyone for continuing to build our regional map with drawings of Bradford– look out other markets in West Yorkshire, we’ll be seeing you soon…