Sharing Our Lives
A heritage and arts programme exploring our shared histories of migration.
Sharing Our Lives is a journey of discovery which uncovers stories of migration history and brings them to life through the arts.
The project began in Thurrock, a diverse area with a vibrant past and lots of exciting stories to tell.
Led by Together Productions, and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, local school pupils and volunteers came together to uncover memories of journeys into, through and out of Thurrock, both recent and long ago. Working with a team of artists and supported by local partners, these stories have inspired a new series of artworks including songs, films and illustrations. They have also been captured as oral histories for current and future generations to appreciate.
You can watch the films, listen to stories and see illustrated story portraits at the Sharing Our Lives website.
Sharing Our Lives in Thurrock
In 2022-23, 45 students from the Gateway Learning Community in Tilbury and 32 local volunteers were trained in heritage collecting and ways to tell stories through the arts. The project opened up conversations between friends, family and the local community about their lives and culture.
Participants worked alongside film-maker Fotis Begklis to plan and record a series of short films featuring local people. The stories have inspired a new set of songs, co-written by project participants with composer Aga Serugo-Lugo and lyricists Hazel Gould and Capo Lee. Artist Salina Jane has woven together over 50 Sharing Our Lives stories into a large-scale art piece which forms the heart of a touring exhibition.
For those interested in finding out more about their own communities, a story-sharing toolkit has been developed and is available online.
The project has inspired people from across generations and cultures to discover new things about one another, their local area, and themselves.
Read on to find out how to share your story with us and be part of Sharing Our Lives' next steps.
Sharing Our Lives - next steps
Sharing Our Lives has uncovered many incredible local stories - powerful, funny, moving, thrilling, challenging and everything in between. Together with young people from local schools and other community members, the stories have been brought to life through the arts, creating a rich picture of individual and collective human experience expressed through song, illustration, film and recorded history.
We would love your input into the next stage of the project. If you are interested in telling or hearing local stories, and/or the arts and creativity, please do e-mail us at hello@togetherproductions.co.uk.
Share Your Story
Do you have a migration story you would like to share with us? If you would be interested to share your story, email hello@togetherproductions.co.uk. Please briefly explain your story and let us know the best way of contacting you.
You can also discover stories in your own family / community using our free online toolkit.
Project Updates
