Pine an’ Fret, an exhibition by artist Rebecca Chesney depicts a series of beautifully crafted posters featuring an array of poetic statements.

The poetic statements, some of which were created by the Stalybridge community during workshops with local writer Cat Lumb and some of which are taken from the poems of dialect poet Samuel Laycock, cover thoughts on the changing face of Stalybridge. They explore topics like wages, health, and the cost of living and are intended to provoke a response from the viewer and start a dialogue about Stalybridge. The exhibition intends to look deeper, exploring our role as citizens in shaping society.

During the exhibition, audiences will be encouraged to respond to the artworks, at different points in the room, creating new contributions that will be exhibited (with participant permission) alongside Rebecca’s work. All of the public's thoughts, comments and designs will also be documented on The Living Room website, a new social history archive that aims to capture the voice of people today and gives a platform for the memories and experiences of local people.