Encyclopedia of Us.

The Encyclopedia of Us is an annually released newspaper co-created with residents of the HU3 area of Hull. It is one manifestation of the Artist Investigator work I’ve been leading on in the area since 2018. Commissioned by Three Ways East this work utilises Asset Based Community Development approaches.

The Encyclopedia of Us aims to showcase the determination and skills of the community it serves, while also acknowledging the ongoing challenges. In many ways its a living archive and engine to help us see, imagine and act. It’s overriding ambition is to be dynamic where each issue reflects ideas that emerge through ongoing work. Designed by Paper Rhino and printed in an edition of four thousand, each EofUs is distrubuted via community organisations, residents and contributors. Each issue also contains many You Can’s – invitations to act and get involved.

A recent reviews:

“This newspaperreflects the goodness around here, which is very often in our blind spot… well we can only say bring it on. Here there are so many people hidden..behind screens, behind curtains, behind needles, behind bottles with  alcohol, behind big smiles, or polite words..but the real people with their goodness is hidden, because someone, somewhere, sometime,  made them feel insignificant, no ones,  empty…like pot hole on the road, or a  broken stich on a nice dress, or mould on the favourite food… Let’s bring them out and and put them under the light. What a wonderful thing.”

“I think the value of the paper is that it’s an inside looking out thing rather than an outside looking in thing (it has this function too but I think that’s secondary). I think something George says in his article, in Issue 2, sums up its worth: ‘My photos are about celebrating people who are overlooked, or who don’t have a voice or will never have a voice.’

“The paper works as a connector. It’s not just allowing people to see themselves but to be seen by others with the same aspirations. This can only be a good thing and builds social capitol and shifts people to a position to be able to do more/struggle less because there’s the potential to link in with others”.

Issue 3 was released in July 2023 and can be read HERE

Issue 2 was released in July 2022 and can be read HERE

Issue 1 was released in July 2021 and can be viewed HERE

@eofushu3 extends this work online