One of Alice Hill's gorgeous works - on show as part of Changing Spaces

Changing Spaces is a pioneering new initiative being developed by Cambridge City Council in partnership with Love Cambridge. Turning empty spaces into makeshift galleries, the project is curated by Georgia Artus and has given a much needed boost to cutting-edge art in the city. It will culminate in August with 15-20 shopfronts filled with original works.

Despite being a leading cultural city in Europe, Cambridge faces a very real lack of affordable, social and creative space – and local activists increasingly risk headlong confrontations with the police to enter-and-occupy unused buildings in the area (see Cambridge Free Spaces) in attempts to address the issue. There is a need for initiatives such as Changing Spaces in order to tackle a real shortage of resources for the hundreds of talented artists and musicians in the area who have very few places to showcase their work. Local charity groups are also being invited to participate in a six-week scheme to enter certain empty units.

Positiveworld Studios is also exhibiting work by Alan Hudlestone, Jill Fordham, Georgina Cook, Jennie Kirner, Lee Hyde and Austin Whiteside. The shopfront closes the two-month stretch of shows in September with conceptual artpiece Rody’s Friends Are For Sale, an installation made from an inflatable horse found in New York – Rody – and a collection of yellow plastic ducks. Each duck on sale raises money for tree planting, as led by charity Trees For Life.