Our Stories, Our Places, Our Futures is a co-creation storytelling project led by Adverse Camber in partnership with Junction Arts. Young people living in Bolsover, Chesterfield & NE Derbyshire, along with four professional storytellers, formed an ensemble to create performative and participatory outcomes to showcase at the Tapton Lock Festival.

The project included development training for storytellers in facilitating participatory workshops. Entitled Who Knows: Creative Facilitation Masterclass and run over a weekend in May, it was led by Deanna Rodger, a leading UK poet, lecturer and facilitator.

We also delivered a series of story-making outreach sessions with over 80 young people from Bolsover (Boza Yoth Inc), Doe Lea, and Chesterfield LGBT+ youth groups, and Chesterfield College Performing Arts students.

During weekly storytelling Ensemble sessions on Monday evenings at West Studiosin Chesterfield and a Story-Making Summer Project week at Bolsover Castle (15th –19th August), young people explored themes of self, place and imagined futures, extended their storytelling skills across multiple artforms, and developed their confidence and creativity in using traditional storytelling techniques, performing, creative writing, making audio recordings, and drawing.

The project culminated in a performance at the 10th Anniversary Tapton Lock Festival in September where the ensemble performed their stories on stage, recorded stories as audio, made a podcast and delivered a participatory storytelling workshop for visitors.

The Storytelling Ensemble: Abbi, Alex, Artur, Dylan, Emma, Erin, Esme, Freya, Grace, Laci-Mae, Lukas, Nancy, James, Joshua, Miranda, Neve, Nicola, Penny, Robert, Savannah, Viola

Storyteller-artists: Aoife O’Connor, Beccy Dye, Lewis Doherty and Maria Whatton

Guest visual artists: INSTAR (Nick and Trish) and Lucie Maycock

Filmmaker: Adam Robertson, Film City

Producers: Aly Stoneman (Adverse Camber) and Jane Wells (Junction Arts)

“I was surprised by how much I have gained from discussing facilitation and in watching Deanna work. I thought I’d learn things but had no idea how much or how useful it would be.  Deanna is an incredible facilitator!” – Participant of Masterclass training

“This week has been AMAZING! If it ever happens again, be sure to inform me.” – Participant of Bolsover Castle Summer School

“They are both feeling very inspired and enjoying time with such creative people. Thank you!” – Parent of young participant

“An abundance of creativity was unleashed. It was magic to watch!” Maria Whatton – project storyteller

For more information about this project follow the link to the Adverse Camber website https://www.adversecamber.org/projects/our-stories-our-places-our-futures/