Creating the Impossible

A 90‑day project to bring Bruce Springsteen to Wakefield — and to inspire hope in a community.

For the last five years I’ve taken part in a 90‑day global challenge called Creating the Impossible, and this year my project is harder than ever – to persuade Bruce Springsteen to come to my hometown, Wakefield and play a small acoustic set centred on hope. Bruce brings people together wherever he goes — his authenticity, his words, and his music inspire generations — and in a world that feels increasingly fragmented, I would love young people, older generations, and our whole city to come together and feel a spark of connection, courage, and possibility.

Flying School exists to feed the soul — giving people permission to be themselves, to belong, and to inspire others — and this project is a live test of the idea that anything is possible when we come together.

As I began sharing the idea, the generosity and enthusiasm of others took me by surprise. So I’ve created this space to gather that energy, invite more people in, and show Bruce and his team that this isn’t a whim, we are all in!

A little more background on Wakefield

Wakefield is a city shaped by working people and proud mining roots — communities forged in solidarity, courage, and looking out for one another. Today, that spirit sits alongside a growing creative heartbeat, from the legacy of Barbara Hepworth to the energy of Tileyard North and the cultural projects emerging across the district.

Yet like many places, Wakefield has felt the strain of recent divisions, with moments of tension around migration and identity. And still, at its core, this is a warm, generous place — the kind of place Bruce recognised when he visited Norman’s in nearby Kirkburton, where community is important.

We’re a city rediscovering our voice, our art, and our sense of who we are becoming, and this project is an invitation to bring all of that spirit together in one hopeful, impossible‑sounding idea.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Because it takes a village to raise a child… and perhaps a whole city to persuade Bruce Springsteen to come to Wakefield.

There are lots of ways to be part of this — whether you live in Wakefield, somewhere else in Yorkshire, or on the other side of the world. Every small action helps the idea travel a little further.

1. Share the project with anyone who might help it travel

Whether you’re from Wakefield or not, you might know someone who knows someone. Even the most tenuous link could help the reach of this idea. This is a live project in learning about the art of six degrees of separation, can you help?

2. Share your Springsteen story

People have already started sharing their personal stories about Bruce and how he has inspired them at different times in their lives. We would love to collect these stories and share them with Bruce to inspire him. These stories build the heartbeat of the project and remind us how music connects us across generations and experiences.

Tell us how Bruce has inspired you — and perhaps the song you’d most love to hear live?

3. Send Bruce a message of hope

Share a photo, a short video, or a few words encouraging Bruce to come to Wakefield. We’d love these messages to form a growing ripple of hope across the city — something we’ll gather together and share with Bruce’s team.

Perhaps you’re a school wanting your students to get involved, a local business, a community group, a choir, an allotment team, or simply a group of neighbours with a creative idea?

We would love to hear from people across the city and from those who are not residents but want to cheer us all on!

Please send any of the above to: rachel@flyingschool.fun