PEABODY — The CultureHouse Peabody Advisory Group is planning for an upcoming month-long pop-up space in downtown Peabody, which will host a variety of community events.
The group — composed of local artists, residents, and activists from the community focused on community engagement initiatives — did a soft launch for this project with both virtual yoga and paint night classes last week. These virtual activities are intended to gain support for the in-person pop-up and to raise funds to finance the space.
The advisory group also launched a crowdfunding campaign through a partnership with Patronicity, MassDevelopment, and Somerville-based nonprofit CultureHouse, to raise funds for this pop-up space.
Emily Cooper, community member and participant in the advisory group, said she recently moved to Peabody and thinks this is a great way to meet people and embed herself in her new home.
“During this past year, most of us have been staying home to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. And while that decision has kept us all safe during the pandemic, it hasn’t resulted in much community-building or economic stimulation in Peabody,” said Cooper. “CultureHouse Peabody is designed to fill that gap: provide a ‘third place’ outside of home and work where you can connect with neighbors, enjoy entertainment, and safely relax in downtown Peabody. I’m confident that these events will prove to everyone how special CultureHouse Peabody can be for our community.”
Cooper said she wants this space to bring something uplifting to everyone. The space will accommodate social distancing and health guidelines, and include seating, ping-pong tables and games for adults and children.
During the pop-up, the CultureHouse Peabody Advisory Group will study how the space is used and what the community wants to contribute, and will later create a report detailing a future long-term community space.
“We feel that these kick-off events are the best way to show the community firsthand how special a public space like CultureHouse Peabody can be for our community,” said Stephanie Johnson, a member of the advisory group. “When you create a meaningful space for people to relax and entertain themselves, you simultaneously generate community engagement, social connections and economic stimulation for downtown businesses.”
Eric Sargent, program manager for CultureHouse, is overseeing the Peabody pop-up project. Sargent said this space will be an ongoing place for people to stop by to recreate spontaneous meetings — something people may have missed out on because of the pandemic.
“Meeting someone new, and those loose ties that happen in the community, are so important for resiliency to crisis as well as a sense of belonging and mental health,” Sargent said. “A space like this creates the context in which those relationships and connections can be made that can make someone feel more as a part of the community.”
Sargent said they are still finalizing a location but the pop-up will most likely launch on Main Street. With about 10 people involved, the space contains different inspiration elements, according to Sargent. He believes this will give back to a variety of community members while also bringing more attention to the downtown area.
To learn more and support this project, visit https://www.patronicity.com/peabody.
Allysha Dunnigan can be reached at [email protected].