Station South

​​Community-initiated cycle café, cultural programming and place-based practice
Manchester - Opened 2022

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Long-term, resident-led project combining cycling, sound, branding and social infrastructure.

I first encountered the disused and dilapidated railway station in Levenshulme in 2017. At that time, local residents were beginning to explore how the building might be reopened and repurposed as a community asset. What followed was a prolonged period of development, fundraising and negotiation, significantly delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, before the space finally opened its doors in 2022 as a cycle café and social hub.

Station South was initiated by local residents and developed collectively. My role sat across both creative and practical leadership. I acted as project manager for the build, overseeing the development of the space from concept through to delivery, while also contributing as the sole artist involved in the project.

Alongside managing the build process, I developed the full visual identity and branding for Station South, and shaped its cultural programme. Drawing on experience in sound, events and live practice, I introduced DJs, bands and informal listening into the space, integrating music as part of the café’s everyday atmosphere rather than as a headline attraction.

Station South operates as a place of movement and pause — somewhere to arrive, meet, repair, listen and return. Cultural activity is embedded through use, with participation occurring organically through daily rhythms rather than formal programming.
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The project demonstrates how artistic practice can extend into the management, construction and long-term stewardship of shared infrastructure, combining creativity, organisation and collaboration to transform an abandoned building into a living public space.