A quiet space in Coventry city centre has opened up for people who need to rest and relax for a time in comfort.
People can drop in at Voluntary Action Coventry in Trinity Street every other Friday (dates below) from 1pm to 3pm for a bit of warmth, a free fruit tea, soft lighting, a lay down, a chat or just peace.
It is hoped the space will help people with and without disabilities who have been shopping or to an appointment and may be feeling overwhelmed or lacking energy, to plan time to rest before moving on or travelling home.
The Resting Spaces idea was sparked during Coventry’s year as City of Culture when artist Raquel Meseguer Zafe brought her ‘Crash Course in Cloudspotting’ to the city, creating a theatrical encounter that explored the lived experience of people with invisible disabilities like chronic pain and the need to lay down in public.
Our Connecting for Good Cov movement against isolation and young disabled activists CYA (Coventry Youth Activists) joined Raquel in the subversive act of laying down in spaces like Broadgate, Coventry Cathedral and the Herbert Art Gallery to start conversations about making Coventry a more restful place.
From there a core team of locals, supported by Connecting for Good Cov, embarked on a mission to bring resting spaces to public places.
The Voluntary Action Coventry resting space next opens on Friday 28 October and every other Friday after that (11 Nov, 25 Nov), always between 1pm and 3pm. A huge thank you to them for working closely with Coventry Resting Spaces on this.
The core team also meets after this Friday’s resting space to discuss the next steps of their campaign.
Learn more about Coventry Resting Spaces and join their mission (or offer your own public space!) on Facebook by clicking this link or email our community organiser Siân at slewis@grapevinecovandwarks.org.
Connecting for Good Cov forms part of Grapevine’s #SparkingCommunityAction and #ShiftingPower strands of action.