Bureau de Change is an international collaboration between The Highrise Project in Leeds and Kulturbühne Neustadt, which runs Passage 13, a sociocultural centre in Halle-Neustadt.
In September 2026, 4 members of Passage 13 travelled to Armley, Leeds, to meet the English team in their creative habitat, visit local initiatives and exchange experiences of community-led cultural work. The visit offered insights into local residents, places and projects, while revealing similar challenges and new possibilities for collaboration between the two neighbourhoods.
At Leeds Industrial Museum, Halle-Neustadt’s industrial history came into conversation with Leeds’ textile and manufacturing heritage. Both places share experiences of industrial roots, economic restructuring and their impact on work and local communities. The visit highlighted the potential to connect industrial heritage with contemporary community work.
At New Wortley Community Centre, we explored how community development and food provision can work together in shared responsibility to meet local needs. The organisation of the space and the variety of activities offered practical ideas for running Passage 13 more efficiently, including clearer room-hire information, transparent pricing and exemptions, agreed rules for using the space, and defined responsibilities for bookings, reception and tidiness.
A presentation of the partnership with the University of Leeds Cultural Collections & Galleries offered another key insight: Dedicated co-creation and co-facilitation can really make cultural institutions more accessible and responsive to communities. Rather than simply inviting people into an existing programme, the partnership creates opportunities for communities and institutional staff to truly create activities together. This prompted ideas for closer cooperation with Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design and museums in Halle, enabling Neustadt residents to access these spaces and also to contribute to their programmes. Personal invitations, accessible communication and fewer financial and language barriers remain essential.
The visit also explored how art and technology can bring local stories to life. The Highrise Project presented artistic banknote prototypes inspired by overlooked personalities and histories in Armley. Building on our shared Wheel of Local Knowledge, we discussed how these artworks could become playful tools for exchanging stories, combining physical objects with QR codes, audio and augmented reality.
At St Bartholomew’s Church in Armley, a historic Schuke organ with connections to the Halle (Saale) region and a rich, largely undigitised collection of local history sparked ideas about connecting cultural heritage across borders. We also discussed how the church could open its doors more widely to cultural and community activities, and how the Leeds partners might strengthen local cooperation and secure spaces for their work.
Our exchange strengthened our partnership and provided a wealth of ideas for both Passage 13 and our shared work. We are spoilt for choice!
