17th March 2022
Stories about local people
Blog by Sarah Brown, Producer at Made With Many.
Now more than ever, it is fantastic to hear about things going on in the local community, especially at a time when events that were planned for the past two years can now go ahead. Some amazing events for International Women’s Day took place with Wellingborough African Caribbean Association and Wellingborough District Hindu Association (see photos below). Hearing women sharing stories with other women, and celebrating together, is incredibly powerful.
During lockdown, when such things could not go ahead, Made With Many commissioned a number of remote projects to connect the community, including the South Asian Heritage Project, and a Homeless Stories Project that led to a publication (You Must Stay at Home by Ryan Leder). More recently, writer Karen Rust has published a series of letters, written by local people in Wellingborough during lockdown. A Tale of Two Citizens allowed younger people and older people to share their ideas at a time when many were isolated. Finding out more about the local community and their lives in the town has given me a sense of local pride, and like many others I think it would be great to hear more.
Made With Many are now working with several community groups, thanks to National Lottery players and the Heritage Fund, to gather local stories ready for a celebration of local people next year. The Wellingborough Stories Festival will take place in 2023, and will include lots of activities, events, and artwork showcasing the stories that are currently being collected across diverse communities in Wellingborough: celebrating the lives of disabled, LGBT, Black, older and younger people in Wellingborough. Watch this space as we share more as the project progresses.
If you have a story to share, please get in touch by emailing info@madewithmany.org
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