FORGET about Celebrity Big Brother, Comet country residents have their own chance to appear under a camera’s watchful eye while taking a trip back in time to the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Letchworth Arts Centre is inviting families, individuals and groups of friends to spend some time in a Big Brother-style house which reflects the two decades.
Organisers are looking for people to stay in an empty shop unit in Leys Avenue, Letchworth GC, for eight-hour day-time sessions, while webcams will enable people to view the house and its occupants online.
Passers-by will also be able to peer in and see residents at work and play in a house, and even join them for tea and coffee.
Interviews for places in the house will take place in September and applicants have until September 5 to register their interest, with an opportunity to spend more than one day inside.
The project, taking place between October 8 to 22, is part of the run-up to the Arts Centre’s festival of all things 70s and 80s in Broadway Gardens on November 17 and 18, entitled Now That’s What I Call a Recession.
The event is being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Maria Iredale, chief executive of Letchworth Arts Centre, said: “We’ve done projects with the Heritage Lottery Fund before, and we want to do something that really engages people.
“It’s all about looking at things with a modern eye, as everything is about Facebook and reality TV, it will be nice to see something from the 70s and 80s, with history and heritage, but with a modern eye.
“Something like this engages people, and explores the cultural, social and economic changes since the 70s and 80s. For me it feels like it was just two minutes ago.
“We’ve got all sorts from these eras, like kitchen gadgets which today we would see as enormous and useless, toys, board games, and a digital recorder from that time as well.”
To be part of the project, contact Sam Alexander at Letchworth Arts Centre via Facebook, email info@letchwortharts.org, phone 01462 670788 or visit the arts centre in The Arcade, Letchworth GC.
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