Held in conjunction with Buckinghamshire Libraries, Hazelmere Library hosted the team who offered up tea, cake and story weaving. Headed up by theatre maker and director of Flibbertigibbet, Stevie Thompson, Story Thread is a creative exploration of stories and storytelling. Its aim is to co-create with older participants in Hazelmere, specifically those who have been isolated since the pandemic and at risk of loneliness, to explore the textures and colours that tell the stories of their lives. The project has been designed for participants to meet new people, drink tea, eat cake, and explore their creativity in a welcoming, relaxed environment. Stevie said:
“The Story Thread pilot is the creation of art through kindness and conversation. I believe in ‘legacy’ and this feels a perfect example of that, personal legacy as well as the potential continuation of the project through public interaction. To ensure that legacy is a growing log for participants and funders, we are currently creating a Living Archive which will support the project. This will soon be a place to collate and share media, encouraging further engagement and maximising the reach and impact of Story Threads.”
Living Archive enables cultural organisations to easily document and demonstrate the critical work they do and the value that they create by providing a collaborative tool that makes collecting, organising, and using audio, video, images and text simple, fun, and flexible. Understanding co-creation, Living Archive empowers stakeholders to be a part of the story. Founder Nick Williams said:
“Flibbertigibbet Theatre’s Living Archive is a wonderful example that brings together the creations and contributions of all participants, creating an accessible legacy steeped in conversation, creativity and community. Following the project’s success Stevie is now primed to expand and take it to other libraries – using Flibbertigibbet Theatre’s Living Archive she can capture, and celebrate all contributions moving forward whilst keeping this most recent project very much alive!”
Story Thread is unique as a form of engagement – Over 3 sessions, “Morning” “Afternoon” and “Evening”, the facilitators use different creative prompts, including music, words and images to encourage the exploration of the colours and textures of moments from our lives and weave them into unique pieces of work.
The Living Archive (which is still under construction) can be visited at: https://www.livingarchive.net/view/Flibbertigibbet_Theatre_-_project_1
More information is available at www.livingarchive.net