ARTISTS are planning to transform Lincoln Central railway station into an interactive gallery.

The Stop. Look. Listen exhibition will feature seven pieces of art installed inside the station building in St Mary's Street which encourage commuters to engage with the city's history and culture.

It will run from Monday, May 23, to Tuesday, June 2.

The "live art programme", by London artists Sonia Uddin and Leah Elsey, will include videos, audio histories and written descriptions of the train journey into the city.

There is even a board game in the waiting room for passengers to play.

Ms Elsey said the project drew its inspiration from the city's culture.

She said: "We travelled up to Lincoln on the train and so the station was the first thing we experienced there.

"There is a lot of social history and culture in a station, and the project is a way people can make the most of it.

"We wanted people to engage with our pieces to remind them it is a social place."

The project is part of a four-part series that will appear in Lincoln throughout the year, named The Trivia Of Eccentric England.

The organisers said the projects explored the more unusual sides of English culture.

Former University Of Lincoln student and curator of the Lincoln Art Programme, Alan Armstrong, said: "We really want it to be a celebration of culture in Lincolnshire, and we see the station as a bit of hub for this.

"The exhibition is a great way to celebrate all the eccentricities of our country, such as train spotting – there's something very British about railway stations and trains.

"We hope that people who are travelling through stop for a brief period of time to take a look."

The Trivia Of Eccentric England exhibition forms part of the Igniting Ambition Festival 2011.

The festival includes 12 art exhibitions that will run throughout the county until October.

The project is also running in Rutland and Northamptonshire, and uses the 2012 Olympic Games as inspiration for exploring local culture.

David Lambert, managing director of cultural solutions, which is managing the festival, said the station was an ideal place to engage the community.

He said: "Placing the event at such a popular and accessible location such as the train station democratises the event – it's for everyone, and this is something we have encouraged with all 12 events.

"The festival offers both Lincolnshire's residents and the county's visitors an opportunity of experiencing at first hand something that is both exciting, fun and innovative."

Funding for The Trivia Of Eccentric England project was gained from the Cultural Olympiad, National Arts Council and Lincolnshire County Council.