One of the things that the research for the Atmos Totnes Hub and it's "Past" element has discovered is a number of old maps of the site.  Those of us more familiar with its recent history struggle to imagine the site as anything other than covered in concrete.  But as this fascinating map from the 1880s shows, there was a time when the Brunel building was the only thing on the site, and it sat [...]

Our Atmos Totnes Hub is now open on Fridays and Saturdays, and many people are calling in.  What can you expect if you come?  We asked its creator, Ruth Ben-Tovim of Encounters Arts to take us on a walk through the site and its different activities, and we also meet some of the people who were visiting on Saturday.  If you thought community consultation consisted of looking at a few architects drawings and being asked [...]

You are invited to have a say and get involved with Atmos Totnes.  Our new Hub will be open Fridays & Saturdays from 17th October - 6th December, 2014, first opening its doors this Friday at 10am.  Drop in, bring your memories, your thoughts, your ideas.  Remember the past, respond to the present and be a voice in creating the future of this iconic Totnes site. the past Alongside the creative consultation about the future of the [...]

Lastly, we asked people what, in the Atmos Totnes of their dreams, they might smell as they walk around the site.  Here are their answers: The smell of sawdust, food being processed, fresh coffee being brewed, bread baking • Smell of fragrant plants and of eco-natural materials which the buildings are made of and fresh coffee and home-baked wholemeal rolls coming from the various cafes on site • Fresh cakes, sweet water • Fresh, green, tasty, [...]

Here are the answers to the question "if you visited Atmos in five years time and it had developed how you'd like it to, what might you hear as you walked around.  "Laughter" appears to be a particular favourite!: Sounds of water, fowl and frogs, grasshoppers on site, towards the river, bicycle bells, birds, laughter, excited voices • Children playing, workshop noises, music • People talking, work activity, bird song, laughter • A good music [...]

Answers from the 8 October Public Meeting to the question "How might you feel visiting the Atmos Totnes site in 5 years?": All ages working together – areas for kids to feel free to take part • Keep a sense of the history of the place • I feel nourished, happy, alive, interested and friendly • Vibrant community – strong relationships between organisations on site • Community – relationships • I can feel love, love [...]

Here are the responses to the question "What might you taste at Atmos Totnes in 5 years?": Lovely food – fresh air! • Singing • Good local food – workshops – teaching – skillshare • Delicious food to drink – additional outlets for existing cafes • Edible gardeners – yummy food ­– destination place for travellers, workers and residents • I’d like to taste samples from all the range of food processors using local ingredients [...]

Responses from our Public Meeting in response to the question "if Atmos Totnes developed as you'd like it to, in 5 years time, what would you be thinking as you walked around the site": New things of all kinds, more about how to work together – the whole community • Open learning – bring all ages together to learn from one another • I’m breathing in learning! • Gift economy • IT skills •Skills share [...]

Feedback from our Public Meeting on 8th October in response to the question "what would you like to see on the Atmos Totnes site in 5 years time?": Open spaces, contemporary and traditional design, green space • Visual art spaces, green spaces, clean building lines • Manufacturing space, craft workspace, lean trades and technologies, meeting space • Colourful flowers and plants and beautiful wildlife and gracefully designed exciting funky eco architecture and art features in [...]

At our Atmos Totnes public meeting on 8th October at St John's Church, we asked people, in the second half of the meeting, to imagine that in five years time, Atmos Totnes has become an inspiring place to work, learn, live and relax.  We asked them what they would be seeing, hearing, feeling, doing, smelling, tasting and learning there.  We will be publishing their responses over the next few days, starting here with "what would you be [...]