By re-connecting the mind to the heart, can we remember ourselves? How can we live harmoniously in a world crumbling through harm? How can we creatively resist Despair from entering and Hope from leaving our ‘Guest House’?

Join Khaver Idrees of Anam Cara Collective for a soul making, poetic walk. Taking its name from O’Donohue, the walk aims to  re-discover the infrastructure of the inner and outer worlds by looking through the eyes of the heart in order to imagine a beautiful future for all.

Starting point: Starting point: 8 Manchester Drive Southend-on-Sea, SS9 3HS (Private road of Westcliff High School for Girls on Manchester Drive)

Gathering ourselves and our senses at the private road of Westcliff High School for Girls on Manchester Drive, the journey will cross borders and connect places through poetry. Finishing at David Amess’ memorial statue on Chalkwell Esplanade opposite the Crowstone, we will have some time to reflect and indulge our senses further over tea and coffee at a local cafe.

Please bring your favourite poem to share if you would like to, some tools/materials (paper, pencil, a phone, camera, sound-recording device etc) to hold treasures from the walk. Please come prepared for changes in weather and a 1 – 1.5 hour walk.

The walk will be fully outside, so please check the weather on the day, wear a comfortable pair of shoes, and bring a bottle of water with you.

About Southend-on-Imagination
When the infrastructure for care and connection is eroded, how does it affect our memory of a place and sense of belonging? And what happens when we come together to see places we might have never been to or might have passed by hundreds of times from a different lens and imagine their futures by sharing diverse experiences present in Southend? 

Southend-on-Imagination is an artist project by Gulsen, commissioned as part of The Unlonely City that brings people in dialogue to explore how our surroundings – beyond brick and mortar – can host and impact our emotions and sense of belonging and collectively imagine how we want Southend to look and feel like in 2050. 

In this walk, you’ll explore a part of Southend from a Southend resident’s personal perspective, enriched with your reflections, contemplation and responses.

Accessibility Notes 
The distance will be approximately 1 miles with no steep gradients. The route may include some uneven surfaces. Please advise us in advance of any additional accessibility needs. If you have any additional questions, email southendonimagination@gmail.com 

Participation Guidelines 
Anyone under 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult.

These walks aim to create a safe and respectful space for all involved. By attending the walk, you are agreeing to be kind and welcoming to others; approach the walk with curiosity and creativity; be respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences; be mindful of language that may exclude or alienate. Please do not disparage others.

Harassment and sexist, ableist and racist, transphobic or other prejudicial comments or behaviours will not be tolerated. We may ask you to leave the walk if you fail to adhere to this code of conduct. 

Please keep noise levels low when we are in the residential area and be mindful of not obstructing entrants to buildings etc. Please ask before taking photos of other people on the walk and respect people’s privacy. 

About Gulsen 
Gulsen is a multi-disciplinary researcher and artist exploring collective imagination as a way to challenge, question and interrogate how modern technologies, systems, and infrastructures prioritise nebulous concepts of efficiency, growth, and innovation instead of, and often in opposition, to the real world effects these pursuits have on people. With her practice, Gulsen looks at what kinds of spaces, activities, rituals, responses, and conversations might allow us to embrace uncertainty and to come together to imagine different possible futures.

About Artist Ideas to Disrupt Loneliness
In Autumn 2025, artists submitted their creative project ideas as part of The Unlonely City. Since then, and even before then, we’ve been thinking about how we can create unlonely cities through creativity, curiosity and just the right amount of chaos. You can find out more about what’s happening in Southend here.

The Unlonely City is an arts programme disrupting loneliness, nurturing moments of solidarity, surprise and laughter. Through a series of artistic commissions, citizens assemblies, parties and public conversations. The Unlonely City takes place across Liverpool, Peterborough, and Southend, where Metal is based, to imagine what an ‘unlonely’ city could be.

The Unlonely City programme is funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation as part of the Arts Award.