Stockroom launches new digital artwork by international artist Di Mainstone

Stockport’s newest cultural landmark, Stockroom, is unveiling of a major new immersive digital artwork by internationally renowned artist and filmmaker Di Mainstone.

Commissioned by FutureEverything and launching on Wednesday 10 July, Emotional Biodiversity is an ambitious multi-sensory experience that blends art, technology, storytelling, and environmental themes—created with and for the people of Stockport.

Since opening its doors in May, Stockroom has become a vibrant creative hub in the heart of the town centre, welcoming over 100,000 visitors in just one month. Now, this landmark venue, brought to life by Stockport Council,  is offering residents and visitors a chance to experience world-class digital art—for free.

Set in a future Stockport abandoned due to environmental catastrophe, Emotional Biodiversity explores what remains—glowing bulbs growing from ruins, each one filled with the voice and story of a local resident. At the centre of the story is “The Last”, played by Stockport performer Charlotte Cartwright, who journeys through the wreckage, collecting and protecting these emotional capsules—a moving metaphor for memory, hope, and environmental care.

The work was co-created through workshops with Stockport-based community groups including PossAbilities, Coffee Chill & Spill, and Wellsprings Centre, and features contributions from Greater Manchester artists, sound designers, and filmmakers.

To mark the launch, Stockroom is inviting the public to a free evening of talks and conversation on Wednesday 10 July. Speakers will include:

• Di Mainstone, artist & filmmaker
• Mandy Wigby, electronic musician
• Nicholas Delap, Stockport-based digital artist

Attendees will hear about the making of the work, the local stories behind it, and the innovative digital techniques used to bring it to life. It’s an unmissable evening for anyone interested in art, technology, or the environment.

Di Mainstone, artist and filmmaker, said:

“I hope that by engaging with this project, people will take a moment to think about their own emotional biodiversity as they contemplate issues like the environmental crisis.  Often, we can become overwhelmed by statistics and news reports, and so that way of receiving information doesn’t always lead to change. Climate psychologist Caroline Hickman suggests that when we look at these difficult issues through the spectrum of our emotions, something can shift. It becomes less about the overwhelm and more about personal connection – and that’s where incremental changes can start to happen, in how we live and how we protect and cherish the natural world around us.” 

Gwen Riley Jones, Creative Programme Manager, Stockroom, said:

“Emotional Biodiversity brings the kind of high-quality digital art you’d expect to find in a major city, right here to Stockport. It reflects our Stockroom values of working with local people, making things together, and sparking collaboration. It’s a powerful way to connect people with big, often difficult topics like climate change and human emotion.”

Located in Merseyway, Stockroom is Stockport’s new cultural and creative hub. Backed by the Future High Streets Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Stockroom is a flagship part of Stockport Council’s award-winning regeneration programme, recognised as one of the boldest in the country.

Cllr Dan Oliver, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Public Protection at Stockport Council, said:

“Since opening, it’s been brilliant to see so many people from all walks of life enjoying all Stockroom has to offer and it has quickly become a real heartbeat of the town centre. It is playing a key role in the regeneration of our town and is providing a home for brilliant exhibitions celebrating the best of Stockport. This exhibition perfectly captures Stockroom’s ethos of creating something with and for our community and encourages us to reflect on the value of our natural environment and biodiversity here in Stockport.”