Learn the latest about the incredible project which is taking art to the people in our local area and discover more about the fantastic artists involved from Ben, the Project Manager of Sharing Stories, Standing Strong.
Since November 2022, I have been working with Kirklees Libraries to team up library staff with six local artists, each with their own special way of working. We have poets, a musician, people who make theatre, artists, and even a stand-up comedian, who are currently working with six libraries in the area to bring workshops that are fun and inspiring for local people in each local area who might not have explored making things themselves. The artists we have selected are Ruth Cockburn, Henry Bateman, Chérie Taylor Battiste, Cherry Styles, Rachael Gorton, and Marianne Matusz.
They are working in six libraries:
- Dewsbury Library
- Batley Library
- The Greenwood Centre, Ravensthorpe
- Birkby and Fartown Library
- The Chestnut Centre, Deighton
- Rawthorpe and Dalton Library
We hope this new plan will help those taking part to find out something new and creative about themselves. Could you be a budding writer? Or do you have an idea for a song you could make? Or a piece of art you could learn to draw? We want our local people to share their own stories, finding out who we are and what brings us together. This is an action-research project, meaning we are trying to find lots of different ways of making art in libraries, seeing what will work best for us as we work in the local area over a longer amount of time.
The creative workshops that have started to happen in libraries have filled me with so much excitement about things to come. I have been told by our artists about complete strangers coming together to write songs, stories being told as artists, and people coming together to garden at Birkby and Fartown Library. There was even a session which saw both a 70 year old adult and a 13 month old child working together! Our artists are even sharing ideas with one another and leading workshops that mix types of art, and they have made new lively workshops that are offered to set groups, giving you the chance to get to know each other, as well as one-to-one coaching to improve a person’s own confidence. I can’t wait to see what wacky and wonderful things each team will come up with as we move forward, as well as learning more myself about how to make art!
We want everyone to share their own stories, looking at who we are and what brings us together. If you want to find out more about what we have on offer as part of Sharing Stories, Standing Strong, and want to take part in any free workshops at the six libraries, then please get in touch by sending me an email on ben@thelbt.org and watch this space for more information.
Sharing Stories, Standing Strong is an Arts Council funded project, co-delivered by Lawrence Batley Theatre and Kirklees Libraries.
