Projects
Our Stories, Our Places, Our Futures
Our Places, Our Stories, Our Futures establishes a new partnership between Junction Arts and Adverse Camber, an independent production company, passionate champion of live storytelling and music, based in UNESCO World Heritage Derwent Valley, Derbyshire.

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/
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Six Pillars
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Six Pillars will support the emotional health and wellbeing of young people, aged 11-18, in six communities across Bolsover district and North East Derbyshire. Young people will be supported to build life-long skills, create new friendships and improved confidence and become the six pillars to their own positive self-esteem and healthy futures, exploring volunteer opportunities and career pathways.
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Junction Arts and Vistry Homes worked together to create new public art at their Brimington Heights housing development in Chesterfield.
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Bolsover Lantern Parade
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The Bolsover Lantern parade is an annually returning event that engages local Bolsover communities, in participatory arts activity, and inspires participants and audiences to get involved in a high quality festive arts experience.