Sharing Stories
Gathering reflections from Bedford's migrant and refugee communities.
Artists & Associates
Sharing Stories is a multi-arts project for and with first-generation migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, that creatively explores their stories, narratives and reflections. The programme facilitates the sharing of stories through a range of artistic practices, bringing together workshop-based creation, community participation, and live performance.
Over the next few months, through a series of workshops, communities and individuals will collaborate with artists towards a performance event at The Place Theatre, Bedford, on 7th November 2026.
Wings of Courage
Through the reciprocal act of story sharing, the project sets out to celebrate Bedford’s migrant and refugee communities. Drawing on the expertise of LegalAliens Theatre’s pioneering work with migrant communities and refugees in London, the initial phase of the Sharing Stories programme was delivered in partnership with LegalAliens Theatre.
As part of their Wings of Courage project, LegalAliens ran a story gathering and origami workshop at Bedford Central Library during Refugee Week in June. Participants were invited to drop in and share a story in any form – written, drawn or in any language – on origami paper and fold the paper into a crane.
At the Bedford River Festival in July, as part of the Arts & Culture Island, LegalAliens held a second workshop and presented a performance piece around the collected stories and cranes.
What’s next?
Building on the previous phase of learning in partnership with LegalAliens, the next phase of the project commissions Bedford-based artists. Through community consultation with key charities and partners (HopeWorks, Cafe Connect, Beyond Detention and Hear Me Out), the Sharing Stories artists will work with communities to share the voices and stories of first-generation migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and their advocates living and working in Bedfordshire. The commissioned artists have lived experience of navigating the asylum system and/or migration, or are from the global majority providing an essential lens through which to encounter and experience the stories of migrants and refugees and those who support them.
The artists will work across artistic mediums, exploring visual art, spoken word and music to represent individuals and communities, their cultures and their stories.
Each artist will work with a community group, made up of migrants, refugees and their advocates. These groups will participate in arts workshops, collaborating with the artists to share their stories towards the creation of an artwork.
The final pieces will be curated by theatre practitioner James Easey, in collaboration with the artists and community leaders, and presented as a final artwork to the public at an event on Saturday 7th November at The Place Theatre.
We are delighted to be working with HopeWorks, Beyond Detention, Cafe Connect and Hear me Out on this project and are grateful to them for their expertise and knowledge during the development of this phase of the project.
This project is made possible with funding from Garfield Weston Foundation, The Rayne Foundation, The Wixamtree Trust, The Southall Trust and The Gale Family Charity Trust. It is supported by our regular funders, The Harpur Trust and Arts Council England.
