MONUMENTAL CONSTRUCTIONS
OLIVIER GROSSETÊTE
Right Up Our Street are bringing Olivier Grossetête's Monumental Constructions to Doncaster Market Square as part of Doncaster’s Remake Learning Festival.
Olivier is inspired by local architecture and bringing communities together by making something beautiful out of just cardboard and tape.
We need the community of Doncaster to help us build a life-size replica of the facade of the Corn Exchange. We’ll be hosting free workshops every day from Monday 26th May to Friday 30th May to support the build of the structure.
During the weekend we will invite you back to construct and celebrate the structure created by the community.
Anyone aged 9 years and over can join us for the build and all under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Examples of Olivier’s work in Newcastle, Erlangen, Ipswich
KEY DATES
BUILDING | Monday 26th to Friday 30th May
BOOKING ESSENTIAL
Building workshops. A choice of morning, afternoon or evening sessions every day. Book a time slot and join the build!
CONSTRUCTION | Saturday 31st May
REGISTER INTEREST NOW
Everyone in the Market Square helps to put together the cardboard box pieces into a replica of the Corn Exchange facade. Register your interest to join the construction!
DECONSTRUCTION | Sunday 1st June
REGISTER INTEREST NOW
Sunday 1st June - Audiences can view our construction in Market Square before it is deconstructed by everyone and taken away to be recycled. Register your interest to join the celebration.
ABOUT OLIVIER GROSSETÊTE
Olivier Grossetête is a visual artist who lives in the Alpes de Hautes Provence and works all over the world. His work is based on recovery and misappropriation : cardboard, fines, refusal letters… He plays with words, shapes, gravity, volumes and materials, he tries to swing these elements into a world of fiction and dream. He goes with poetry from monumental constructions to meticulous collages.
Monumental Constructions made from Cardboard
Since 2000, Olivier Grossetête has built his Participative Monumental Constructions made from Cardboard across the world: with more than 300 different constructions today, he has visited five continents and recruited thousands of people in his adventure made of cardboard and tape.
This architectural and participative project invites all the inhabitants of a town to take part in a artistic and human adventure : adults, children, seniors, from all ages and backgrounds are invited to participate in this gigantic and crazy project that is the construction of a piece of art inspired by the local architecture, with only cardboards boxes and tape!
The History of the Doncaster Corn Exchange
By 1850, additional covered space was needed for the sale of fish and fruit. It was to be another 12 years, however, before a south wing, symmetrical with the north wing, was added to the Cloth Market Hall for this purpose.
It was decided to replace the draughty Corn Market, near the site of the present Wool Market. A competition was held to design a building, and in 1873 was awarded to the Lincoln architect, William Watkin.
The foundation stone was laid on September 28, 1870 by the Mayor, Alderman Arthur Smith. Built at a cost of over £25,000 the Corn Exchange opened on April 17, 1873.
A Corn Market was held every Saturday from 11am until 1pm and for each lot of Corn was sold by sample lot and the order was delivered at a mutually agreed time and date.
Although chiefly intended for the sale of corn, it was designed with a view to staging concerts, lectures, exhibitions and large public meetings, and was capable of holding up to 3,000 people.
Concerts by celebrities such as Dame Nellie Melba, Dame Clara Butt, Dame Myra Hess, Richard Tauber - and, in October 1909, by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Edward Elgar - made the Corn Exchange famous for holding highly successful cultural events.
Boxing matches were staged regularly after World War One; local hero Bruce Woodcock, who became British and Empire Heavyweight Champion in 1945 and European Champion in 1946, began his boxing career in the Corn Exchange ring.
Bazaars, sales of work, society shows, dancing and an annual schools' singing festival were just some of the events held until 1987, when the building was converted into an indoor market.
From the Second World War until the 1960s, the Corn Exchange became the Municipal Ballroom. Open on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings in the winter season, it was used as a dance hall.
FAQ’s
What is the Doncaster Festival of Making?
Doncaster Festival of Making is a free cultural event for the community of Doncaster. We strive to push boundaries and deliver a unique high quality event that we can all be proud of. This is about audiences connecting to joy, embracing experiences and participatory moments. Culture belongs to everyone. This year the Doncaster Festival of Making is part of Doncaster’s Remake Learning Festival.
What are the dates and times of the 2025 Doncaster Festival of Making?
BUILDING | Monday 26th to Friday 30th May
Building workshops. A choice of morning, afternoon or evening sessions every day. Book a time slot and join the build!
CONSTRUCTION | Saturday 31st May
Everyone in the Market Square helps to put together the cardboard box pieces into a replica of the Corn Exchange facade. Register your interest to join the construction!
DECONSTRUCTION | Sunday 1st June
Sunday 1st June - Audiences can view our construction in Market Square before it is deconstructed by everyone and taken away to be recycled. Register your interest to join the celebration.
Who makes the Doncaster Festival of Making happen?
Right Up Our Street working collaboratively with our community Festival Steering Group. This ensures that programming is relevant and led by the community of Doncaster. Right Up Our Street is about people in Doncaster choosing, making, seeing and sharing great art, music, theatre, film, dance, radio, poetry, and more.
Do I need to book a ticket to visit the Doncaster Festival of Making?
The Doncaster Festival of Making is a free ticketed event. You can book tickets for three parts of the Doncaster Festival of Making, the Build, the Construction and the Deconstruction. You can book your tickets here.
There is an option to leave a donation. All donations go towards the delivery of our free, charity led events. Our suggested donation amount is £2 per ticket.
Age Restrictions
Between 26th and 30th of May, anyone aged 9+ can join Right Up Our Street and artist Olivier Grossetête to build his Monumental Construction in the Corn Exchange.
All under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Disabled Access in the doncaster corn exchange
The Corn Exchange is wheelchair accessible and has accessible toilets available inside the building. Read more about the refurbishment here.
Where can I park my car?
There are several car park options in the City Centre that are available. Below is a list near the area of the Minster.
The Markets Car Park (a short 2 minute Walk to the Corn Exchange).
Photography and filming onsite
Please note that photography and filming will take place during the festival. The material may be used in social media, in promotional videos and other publicity materials, both off and online. If you do not wish to appear in Right Up Our Street promotional materials, or have any other queries or concerns, please speak to a member of the Right Up Our Street Team.
Who funds the Doncaster Festival of Making?
Our organisation is primarily funded by Arts Council England with support from Doncaster City Council.
Questions in Booking Form
The data collected allows us to do two things. As a charity we work hard to ensure that we are reaching all communities within Doncaster and that we are also supporting any access needs that they may have. The data collected is anonymised and shared with our funders, Arts Council England, to ensure that we as a City and Right Up Our Street we can continue to apply for and benefit from national funding within Doncaster.
Contact Us
If you have any further questions or queries please email the team at hello@rightupourstreet.org.uk or fill in the form below and a member of the Right Up Our Street team will get back to you as soon as possible.