The Peeps can be found in ten places across the former industrial suburb of Ancoats. © NWDA

A new permanent public artwork that uses some unusual locations has gone on display in east Manchester.

The artwork, called The Peeps, currently utilises ten places across the former industrial suburb of Ancoats, and includes a tunnel, a bell tower, a toilet, and even a space inside a mill closed up since the war.

Each of the locations has been walled in and lit. Spy holes have then been installed in them so people can peep through to see the artworks within, which range from mysteriously lit interiors to preserved sewing machine workshops.

Various things can be glimpsed through the various holes in the walls of Ancoats. © NWDA

There are no maps, guides or trails to follow or interpretation panels to explain the new artwork. Passers-by are simply encouraged to discover The Peeps as they wander the close-knit network of streets with the only clues to works of art being the mysterious brass-cast peepholes that have appeared in Ancoats’ walls.

Part of the wider regeneration of the area, The Peeps has been created by British artist, Dan Dubowitz, who was inspired by the ancient practice of walling up objects into buildings as good luck charms. Many such charms – ranging from a child’s shoe to money – have been discovered during recent restoration and clearance works.

“The Peeps is a single artwork that will span up to 20 sites throughout Ancoats,” explained Dan. “This is a place in flux and this installation reflects that… it is not about the project being complete, this is a work that will always be transforming.”

© NWDA

Even during its heyday as the booming heart of the cotton rich city, Ancoats has been a suburb with its fair share of social problems. The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has however recently invested heavily through the Ancoats Urban Village regeneration project in an attempt to breath new life into the neighbourhood.

A new Urban Regeneration Company has been formed to implement a regeneration framework for the area called New East Manchester Ltd (NEM) – a partnership project between Manchester City Council, English Partnerships and the NWDA.

The latter regards projects such as The Peeps as integral to the regeneration of the area whilst promoting creativity across Manchester.

© NWDA

“Works of this nature continue to highlight the rich history of Ancoats,” said Peter Mearns, Executive Director of Marketing at the NWDA. “Dan Dubowitz is giving the area a new sense of individuality and is attracting new audiences to east Manchester.”

Dubowitz, a multidisciplinary artist and architect based in Italy, originally trained in Architecture at Sheffield University. After a spell working for Peter Eisenman in New York, his practise has broadened to include photography, film and installation work with appropriated artefacts and spaces.

He is known internationally for his work on wastelands and his artwork masterplans for cities and public spaces. “The project becoming a reality, after five years gestation, is testimony to the incredible transformation this part of the city is undergoing,” said Dan. “When I first came to Ancoats it was a wasteland, now look at it. Gradually the scaffolding is coming down around Ancoats and people are moving back in.”