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Willow Community Archive

Designing legacy

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The Willow Community Digital Archive was co-created by the University of York and ThomFong as part of the StreetLife project—a collaboration between City of York Council, the University of York, York Civic Trust and York Music Venues Network, funded by the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund and UKRI’s Higher Education Innovation Fund.

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"Having only ever seen the Willow disco from the perspective of a carefree, prawn-cracker-eating regular it was eye opening to find out some behind the scenes stories!"

Jo Y, Willow Punter

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"The exhibition brought back so many memories and such a strong sense of nostalgia."

Jo Y, Willow Punter

"David and Vicki are extremely creative, professional people who really listen to what it is you are trying to do, even when you're struggling to get those first few ideas down on paper yourself." 

Professor Rachel Cowgill, Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Humanities Research Centre, University of York

"It's all felt very organic, like I've been working with people who really are on my wavelength and totally 'get' the project." 

Professor Rachel Cowgill, Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Humanities Research Centre, University of York

Remembering The Willow

Exploring memories through archive innovation and iconic design

 

The Challenge

To develop an innovative way of telling the stories of thousands of people who built connections around the Willow Restaurant and Nightclub—a cultural landmark that shaped York’s nightlife for over four decades. We were tasked with creating an inspiring visual narration that celebrated the Willow while encouraging more people to share their own stories and anecdotes.

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The project also needed to highlight the importance of archiving memories as a way for communities to preserve identity, celebrate belonging, and learn from shared experiences. By documenting these voices, the project contributes to a wider community celebration and reinforces the role of Coney Street as a hub of connection, nightlife, and culture.

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Our Approach

We worked closely with Streetlife York and The University of York to collate, curate, and creatively present a wide variety of archival content. Our design thinking and creative strategy included:

  • Creating a series of short, documentary-style archive films that highlight artefacts and bring them to life through storytelling in film

  • Developing animation sequences that bridge archive materials together, adding rhythm and coherence to the narrative

  • Recording new interviews and blending them with existing content to present multiple perspectives on the Willow’s cultural legacy

  • Designing user experience concepts to promote digital interaction with the Willow Digital Archive—making it easy to both explore content and contribute personal stories

  • Establishing an archiving system that supports Streetlife York and the wider community in managing and accessing artefacts

  • Create an interactive and playful exhibition space that allows the audience to reminisce and to be introduced to the Willow's legacy through, film, audio and other visual mediums.

  • Develop props that help to engage audiences within an exhibition space and promote the importance of contribution to the Willow Digital Archive.

 

The Outcome

  • 6 dynamic archive films telling the story of the Willow across four decades—capturing the voices of the family who ran it and the punters who made it legendary

  • A fully interactive digital archive platform, enabling the public to view, engage, and contribute to the Willow’s living history

  • The Willow Experience: Immersive Exhibition, held in the City of York within the Festival of Ideas 2025

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