For three months, Open Eye Gallery’s upstairs space was turned into a recreation of News From Nowhere, Liverpool’s independent, radical bookshop. It was part of ‘Open 3: Affecting Change’ an exhibition exploring how photography could be used to bring about a better world.

This installation, put together by artist Danny Ryder and the women that run News From Nowhere, was based around the idea of ‘useful art’: art that has a direct function, with the emphasis on usership rather than viewership.

Just like the ‘real’ News From Nowhere, the installation contained a selection of literature to browse and buy, a stand where people could make themselves free tea and coffee, and an area where anyone could sit down to read, chat to strangers, and hang out.

I spent three months volunteering a few days a week in the gallery’s News From Nowhere space. Throughout that time I met many people. The following is an anonymised record of some of the conversations.

THURSDAY 6TH JULY (LAUNCH NIGHT), 8:30PM

‘I’ve only ever been in one scrap.. well.. anyway not that I condone a scrap but I’m not a fighter.. but back in the day you know, sometimes you couldn’t get away from it here.
You wouldn’t believe it a group of grown men attacking a shop with young women inside, you could say I was protecting them, I knew them, but that wasn’t really what I was doing it for you know, it’s a community and that’s not how we treat people. I’ve always supported News From Nowhere, I was only about 20 when that happened.’

Mid 60’s, strong Liverpudlian accent, was very happy to see the News From Nowhere women again.

WEDNESDAY 12TH JULY, 12:30PM

‘I work at a post office warehouse and there is still a lot of discrimination, inequality and stuff in the workplace. I get bullied everyday pretty much, off the cuff comments every day. I can’t get a new job I haven’t got a degree, you need a degree now don’t you? Even people with one don’t get jobs. So I can’t do anything about it, I’ve got kids of my own like, I’ve got my flat to pay for. They never pay me right either… There needs to be more stuff like this at galleries, I never see stuff like this, it’s something that everyone should understand, isn’t it? Everyday stuff that people should see.

Anonymous, mid 40’s, enjoyed having someone to talk to.

WEDNESDAY 12TH JULY, 4:02PM

I’ve never been to this gallery before. I’m a big News From Nowhere goer, it’s the best bookshop in Liverpool, I always end up buying something, are the books on sale here?
You can tell it’s about News From Nowhere up here, as soon as I saw the flag I thought its up there. It’s so small here, it’s nothing like I expected. I thought it was going to be a bit ‘white wall’ but it’s not it’s fantastic especially up here, that wall is a good idea too, I’ve written on it. They will love this the News From Nowhere ladies, have they seen it? Funny isn’t it I prejudged the gallery and the exhibition is all about not prejudging, bloody hell, good bit of irony there for you!

John, mid 50’s, had a good / loud laugh.

THURSDAY 13TH JULY, 11.38AM

I used to be a Librarian for about five years when I was in my late teens, we would sit for hours filtering through what was allowed and what wasn’t allowed… in a public library the restrictions were quite tight, there were long lists of books we couldn’t stock even then, it wasn’t so long ago really. I can certainly say books supporting gay rights and feminism would not have been on the shelf. News From Nowhere was one of a kind in its day, it was a bit of a revelation for certain people I think. That’s why it caused so much fuss.

Female, 60’s, wearing a lemon coloured overcoat on a hot day.

THURSDAY 13TH JULY, 3:16PM

Well we work with a children’s charity on the Wirral so we know Stick ‘n’ Step very well! We came to see what it was all about and it’s been fantastic to see other charities involved from the Wirral and from Liverpool. I do feel like there can be a certain barrier when approaching art galleries. Museums tend to be much more accessible but some galleries miss the mark. The work on display here is fab, for us it’s so good to see things like this especially when its local! There’s a real feel of unity and community. That’s what we’re all about.

Three Ladies, got the train here straight after work, all in heels.

THURSDAY 13TH JULY, 4:40PM

I live up in Toxteth and witnessed all the trouble with the regeneration and demolishment on the estates, it was a nightmare. I know a few years back they won some sort of art award and that was all to do with what was going on with the estate. Have you seen the painted houses on Aigburth Road, they’ve been abandoned and an artist came and painted them all, it looks great. It’s so bright instead of all broken and dirty looking. It’s great seeing arts people supporting the community it’s not something you would think goes together is it, art and building sites. I never knew about the new construction on the docks up until now, it’s a good job they have a group to speak for the people who live there [North Docks Community Group], it’s their homes after all.

Male, 40’s, amazing knowledge of local art, was wearing big brown Doc Martens.

WEDNESDAY 19TH JULY, 10:48AM

Did you vote Labour?
*Yes, did you?*
No I voted conservative but I’m a lot older you see it’s just so different.. One thing I really admire though, is the young people’s passion, I thought it was long gone, but this election was different, the support for Corbyn by you young people, it restored my faith in the younger generation. I understand and agree with a lot of what Labour stand for, my education was free, it’s shocking how much you all pay, I understand that. I respect different views there’s a big stereotype about ‘old people being posh toffs’ I know, my grandchildren like to remind me. There seems to be a barrier between the younger and older generation, bigger than before. We can all vote different parties and have different views but respect each other in that. We grew up in a completely different world you see, completely different to you, that’s why it’s hard to see each others opinions, but talking to you has been eye opening, we are not all ignorant us old folk.. and you certainly are not ignorant either!

Male, late 60’s, well colour coordinated day suit, very respectful.

WEDNESDAY 19TH July, 12:23PM

Oh I know News From Nowhere it’s up on Bold Street ain’t it!, I can tell you I’ve rifled through many a book there, I once got caught up in a ‘liberation for black african women’ section it was bloody fantastic! There’s just so much choice isn’t there, stuff you’ll never find anywhere else. I know Open Eye Gallery too, I’ve known it since before it was here, I’m on the mailing list and everything. Believe it or not I once did a colour printing course at Open Eye, the old one like. Yeah cost me a bob or two but I remember they had this big kodak processor it was amazing. It was back in ‘85 that course, jesus 85. I came to see Bert Hardy do a talk at Open Eye as well, although I did a typical me and forgot to bring his book to get it signed. Picture Post it was called and I was the only bloody person who didn’t get one signed, I didn’t mind though, he was a right talker, was fantastic. Think he died a few years later.. that book would be worth a fortune now.. Bloody Picture Post.

Male, High vis jacket, 50’s, thick lensed glasses, skiving from work.

WEDNESDAY 19TH July, 12:55PM

So I just moved here from London. This is actually my first day exploring the city, I’m starting university here in September, to study music and events entertainment. I’m so excited, like London, it was too much for me, the city was crazy like I couldn’t stop and breathe, it was all too fast and too much you know… Coming here even though I haven’t really go to know the place yet, I can just tell I’m gonna love it here, it’s so different. There’s so much musical history and so much art in the city, I feel at home already. This is the first gallery I’ve visited here, this exhibition is so liberating and progressive you don’t see shit like this so much. It’s inspiring isn’t it like it’s so cool, I can’t wait to see the rest of the place.

Alfred, young male, American, big glint of ambition in his eyes.

WEDNESDAY 19TH July, 1:15PM
Open Eye Gallery, Mersey Books, and News From Nowhere were next to each other back in the day, before they moved buildings like. We were all close together, we used to meet for a drink after work at Tony’s cafe, he was a lefty, but just round the corner was a pub where the National Front would meet and get pissed.. you can imagine the ruckus that caused ey. I know some of the NFN ladies from when I worked at Mersey Books, all the workers at the mersey bookshop were from the ‘Revolutionary Party’ they were so far left they were right. Mersey books was facing NFN on the other side of the road so if there was ever a call out of gangs protesting or attacking we would go help them. Open Eye Gallery back then was pretty out there as well, I remember the gallery had Robert Mapplethorpe’s photographs on display, his work was very homoerotic and controversial, so of course they were targeted for that. I work with *** [a magazine] and a few days ago we had someone came into office shouting and swearing about Corbyn, and it’s like come on mate give it a rest. Even now people are intimidated by places like News From Nowhere, people are afraid of change and revolution, they fear homosexuality and feminism because they don’t understand it. The idea of people being anything other than ‘normal’ scares them. But we were and we are a revolutionary city in that way and I’m proud of it.

When I was younger I was an activist for all things, that gathered a lot of hate and attention, it’s a relatively small city you know, people knew people. Me and my mates we got beaten off the streets, knives thrown at us, they were vicious, most of them had been in the services they actually knew how to hurt you, but they were always outnumbered like.

I got stabbed by one of them, I was a bit over zealous, like a bit hard core and we got stabbed that’s how it was. There was petrol bombing girlfriend’s houses, cutting phone lines, attacking kids on the way to school. I was once hiding upstairs they were kicking the door down, I heard someone say ‘I don’t think they’re here for a cup of tea John’ so we threw a bucket of piss on em.. What else could we do. I got told off a bit, by the neighbours, ‘don’t bring them fascists round here’ but we fought them didn’t we, we fought them.

Male. Had two pairs of sunglasses hooked onto his t-shirt, sporting some fingerless gloves and an old cap.