Lismore City Council has launched a new Listening Booth and Community Book Exchange, bringing local audio stories and book swapping to the heart of the CBD.
The bespoke ‘activation pods’ on Carrington Street look like retro phone booths.
Once you step inside the Listening Booth, Lismore comes to life by simply pressing a button for audio content or scanning a QR code to hear and see more from local musicians, artists and community events.
Mayor, Steve Krieg said the booth brings together the diverse voices of the city and rhythm of the community.
“With Lismore’s continuing renewal, it’s exciting to launch new attractions for visitors to discover and now there’s even more to enjoy in our laneways with the new Listening Booth and Community Book Exchange,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to hearing new tunes from our renowned musicians, connecting with stories behind local artworks and unique spaces in our city, listening to inspiring insights from our business community, and celebrating the rich voices and resilience of our community.”
Mayor Krieg said Council was working with Lismore’s creative organisations for future audio programming.
Council this week also launched the Lismore Laneways’ Community Book Exchange, which is being managed by Lismore Library.
“Community book swaps are a wonderful way to celebrate our love of reading with families and friends, and this book exchange is a fun, accessible way to share books in the Lismore community,” said Area Librarian, Michael Lewis.
The booths are another element of the Lismore Laneways Project, which commenced in 2021 to help reinvigorate our inner-city laneways precinct and attract more visitors. The project was interrupted by the 2022 natural disaster, however, Council is now in the final stages of completing and restoring the project works.
Council plans to continue revitalising Lismore’s laneways over the coming years.
The Project was funded through a $510,000 grant, as part of a $1.5 million grant from the NSW Government for the ongoing revitalisation of the Lismore CBD.
