AN INNOVATIVE arts project is making its way to Sunderland next week, giving shoppers the opportunity to dispel the post-Christmas blues by sharing their favourite memories.
Bring The Happy is a digital archive of happy moments, created by people sharing their experiences and placing them on a digital map.
And late night shoppers at the Bridges on January 22 can be part of this exciting event, when a pop-up Bring the Happy installation is set up at Central Square.
The event – co-ordinated by Sunderland BID as part of a programme of activities taking place on the new, Thursday, late night shopping nights – will allow people to use tablets to interact with a 3-D digital map and mark a place where they had their happiest memory.
They are then invited to share anonymously the story in as much – or little – detail as they like.
More than 5000 stories from around the UK have already been shared through Bring The Happy and now Sunderland residents are also been given the opportunity to make their mark.
“This is a fantastic project for people to take part in and another reason to enjoy late night Thursdays in Sunderland,” said Ken Dunbar, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID.
“It’s also another example of the exciting range of activities that are taking place in and around the city centre which showcases what we have to offer.”
The Bring the Happy event – created by Leeds-based arts group Invisible Flock -is the latest in a number of activities taking place on Thursday evenings in Sunderland, to coincide with late night shopping.
Parking is free from 5.30pm until 9pm on Thursdays in the Bridges, with most of the centre’s major retailers staying open until 8pm.
“Our first two late night Thursdays have been a great success and events such as Bring the Happy are giving people even more reasons to come into Sunderland after hours,” said Andy Bradley, Centre Director at the Bridges.
Stories collected through Bring The Happy at the Bridges – and through other installations in South Shields and at the National Glass Centre – will be included in Bring The Happy Live, a musical event taking place at Sunderland University’s North Shore, Charles Street on Feb 26 – 28.
Further information is available at www.bringthehappy.co.uk