Speaker 1 — Lena

I went to the Riverside Hall reopening with an idea for using one of the rooms as a shared workspace on weekday mornings. The publicity invited people to help shape the hall’s future, so I expected a discussion. The staff were welcoming, and someone gave me a card for my suggestion at the front desk. What nobody could tell me was which decisions were still open. There was already a rather finished-looking programme on the wall. Perhaps there’s plenty of room for changes; I’m not claiming otherwise. But collecting suggestions isn’t quite the same as letting people influence something. I left glad the building was open, and less certain what the invitation to participate actually meant.

Speaker 2 — Marcus

I used to rehearse with a band in that hall, years ago. When I saw the reopening notice, I pictured the old crowd turning up and conversations picking up where they’d stopped. In fact, I recognised hardly anyone. Several people I asked about had moved away. I ended up talking to a woman who’d only recently arrived in the area; we’d never met before. It was a lovely conversation, actually, although I’d spent the first half-hour looking past people like her for familiar faces. The evening hadn’t promised me a reunion. I’d somehow expected a renovated building to bring back a whole period of my life. That’s a rather large job to give a hall.

Speaker 3 — Priya

As a freelance photographer, I’m always being told to get out and meet people rather than wait for enquiries. So I went equipped with a small portfolio and a fairly practical idea of what would make the evening worthwhile. No work came out of it. But I met a library organiser for the first time, and she described a group where people tell stories about objects they’ve kept. She invited me to visit, not to photograph anything, and certainly not with a promise of a commission. I found myself wondering what those stories might look like in pictures. I’d arrived hoping to sell something I already knew how to do. I left with a more interesting question.

Speaker 4 — Owen

My niece was reading one of her poems in public for the first time, which was why I went. The building looked terrific, and the volunteers had clearly put a lot into the evening. But the readings took place beside a stream of people collecting information and greeting one another. General announcements continued while the readers were performing. Nobody had asked them to cut their work, and I’m not suggesting the equipment failed. It was more that the programme treated the poems as something you could appreciate while doing three other things. My niece was pleased she’d got through it. I was proud of her, but I wished her first public reading had felt like a performance rather than background to a launch.

Speaker 5 — Tessa

I’ve recently reduced my working hours, and I thought helping at the hall might be a useful way to spend some of the time. I went to find out what a role would actually involve. Within minutes I was moving chairs with a couple of volunteers, who were wonderfully friendly. That bit was easy. When I asked about regular responsibilities, though, I was directed to an online form. I still don’t know whether they need someone every Tuesday or simply another name they can contact occasionally. I’m interested; I haven’t mistaken a warm welcome for a commitment on either side. Before I put my name down, I’d like to know what I’d be saying yes to.