The Common Room
The Common Room is a structure without walls that mysteriously pops-up in a range of public open spaces for a period of 48 hours. It is ‘home’ to Mr Heath and Mrs Heather Robinson - an eccentric, but lovable couple who are fascinated in the extreme with every aspect of ‘The Great Outdoors’. However, despite the fact there are no obvious barriers to confine them, they NEVER venture ‘outside’ their four invisible walls.
The Robinson’s abode is a strange combination of bird hide, laboratory, workshop, and a wildlife interpretation centre. It’s structure is an assemblage of discarded but recognisable materials and objects: a museum of domestic detritus that speaks of deep cultural memory and nomadic ingenuity. The room is transparent, the inhabitants and their activities exposed. It is populated with odd contraptions and the Robinsons life’s work that focuses on investigating the flora and fauna that surrounds them.
Video credit: Jess Kay
So, every 48 hours when the Robinsons, they have to gather evidence from passers-by and investigate the landscape around to discover where they have ‘landed’ and what year it is. As an Ecologist, this comes naturally to Mrs Heather Robinson and Heath Robinson is ever so good at making odd devises to help her in her observations!
However, one question remains: “Why do the Robinsons never leave the confines of their 4 invisible walls? Are they too scared to leave? Is the habitat around them so fragile they do not want to negatively impact it? Are they scared of worms? Maybe we will never know!
On closer inspection, it transpires that the ‘Common Room’ is in fact a dodgy timeshare the Robinsons purchased in the 1980’s - which entitles them to 48 hours anywhere and any time period within the UK.
So, on the 13th September 2025 they awoke to the delights of a heathland called Greenham Common - which came as quite a shock as they had spent their previous 48 hours during 1935 in a woodland somewhere on the outskirts of Chipping Sodbury.
SUMMARY: The Common Room is a habitat specific, 48 hour durational installation which was devised using R&D funding via the 101 Outdoor Arts Seedbed Residency 2025 . It subtly explores and questions the barriers that prevent people spending more time out in nature and topics such as habitat and biodiversity loss in relation to the Climate Crisis.
The show went on to be commissioned as part part the ‘Creative Commons’ event on Greenham Common on 13th/14th September 2025 - which marked and celebrated the 25 year anniversary of the site being handed back to local people for public access and as a wildlife haven.
Please click on the links below for more information on the ‘Creative Commons’ event and Seedbed Residences at 101
