Wellingborough Stories

Wellingborough Stories Festival

Friday 12th May – Sunday 28th May 2023

Wellingborough Stories is a community heritage project that aims to capture untold stories from the town’s diverse communities, and present them through artworks made with local people. Over 600 people have shared their stories so far through interviews and creative workshops led by local people, with three artists commissioned to make new work for the project.

Kremena Dimitrova, Makers of Imaginary Worlds and Ruth Pigott were all commissioned to run workshops throughout March and April to create new artwork for the festival. You will find Kremena Dimitrova’s beautiful collages of local people’s artwork around the Swansgate Centre. Makers of Imaginary Worlds have built an interactive exhibition of objects and stories that you can explore in the Festival Hub. Every Saturday during the Festival you can watch Ruth Pigott’s puppetry film retellings of local people’s stories at Wellingborough Library.

Alongside these commissions there are lots of events to get involved with, come and craft with us every Saturday, with an enjoyable free activity for all ages. Local groups and artists have created their own events to tell stories in their communities and you can find more Wellingborough Stories gathered in the last few years, at the Festival Hub, Wellingborough Library and online.

Remember to sign up to our newsletter to receive updates direct to your email inbox and take our Prize Draw Audience Surveys for a chance to win one of 3 £50 Love2Shop vouchers!

The project is made possible with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

Wellingborough Stories Commissions

New artworks made by the community with our three commissioned artists, Ruth Pigott, Kremena Dimitrova and Makers of Imaginary Worlds will be on display throughout May 2023.

What is home? Kremena Dimitrova’s Swansgate Centre shop window artworks
throughout the festival and beyond
Stories from home – interactive artworks
by Makers of Imaginary Worlds
every Friday, Saturday & Sunday
Ruth Pigott’s Pop-Up Cinema
in Wellingborough Library
every Saturday and online

Other exhibits in the Wellingborough Stories Festival

There will also be pre-2023 Wellingborough-based story projects on display and available online:

Memories of the Windrush
Quilt at Wellingborough Library
Friday 12th – Saturday 27th May
Mike Prescod – photomosaic and audio recordings
Photomosaic at Wellingborough Library
Friday 12th – Saturday 27th May
South Asian Heritage Project
A collection of short stories, videos and podcasts
Artwork at Wellingborough Library
Friday 12th – Saturday 27th May
From Under The Same Skies
Film screening at Castle Theatre
7pm – 9pm Thursday 25th May
Wailingborough – a local ghost story podcast
Listen at Wellingborough Library
Friday 12th – Saturday 27th May
You Must Stay at Home – book and audio
Artwork at Wellingborough Library
Friday 12th – Saturday 27th May

Festival events and activities

Poetry & Print workshops
Fridays 12th, 19th & 26th May
Our Welly Story – physical theatre
6.45pm on Sunday 14th May
Flavours of Wellingborough
1pm – 2pm Saturday 20th May

Make-and take crafts every Saturday 10am – 4pm
13th & 20th at Swansgate Centre & 27th at Library
Storytime
1pm – 2pm every Saturday in May
Poetry Film-making
10am – 4pm Saturday 20th May
Wellingborough on Film
7pm – 9pm Thursday 25th May

Updates

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Updated 12th May 2023

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