Proposal for a Community Arts Project
Future Folklore is a community storytelling project exploring how myths, memories, dreams, and imagined futures can be transformed into digital “case files”. Through workshops in podcasting, performance, visual art, film, and creative writing, participants create fictional investigations inspired by local folklore and contemporary life. The project combines archive aesthetics, collaborative storytelling, and experimental media to build a growing public archive of community-created folklore.
Inspiration / Creative Context:
photo taken in Barmston Retirement Home.
Interview With A Worm
In 2023, I was commissioned by Washington Heritage to create a ‘freezine’ for the Washington Heritage Festival, celebrating 60 years since Washington became a New Town.
My zine’s style is very surreal, with Cut-Up poetry, dream diary extracts, and a blurring of fantasy and reality. I called the publication “Washington: My Bizarre Hometown. The biggest hit in the magazine was my fictional update of “Where Are They Now?” regarding folklore legends.
Reimaging Folklore:
HOW THE PROJECT WORKS – Workshop → Story Development → Media Creation → Case File → Archive
Arts Centre Washington: Workshops and public sharing events will take place at Arts Centre Washington in partnership with Sunderland Culture.
Participating Groups: Youth Theatre, Youth Film Club, Crocodile Collective, Bright Lights.
The Archive Concept:
“Case Files” “Interactive UK Folklore Map” “Workshop Downloads” “Community Archive”
Archive & Legacy
- Digital archive of community-created folklore
- Downloadable resources for future groups
- Expandable platform for future contributors
- Prototype model for wider community use
- Future LECP and community engagement potential
- Long-term storytelling and cultural archive
Website Core Features
- Interactive UK Folklore Map
- Regional folklore legends and stories
- Clickable map locations linked to case files
- Archive / Filing System aesthetic
- Searchable “Case Files” database
- Audio, visual, text, and film integration
- Podcast and media embedding
- Tagging system (dreams, myths, memory, future, etc.)
- Random “Open Case File” feature (future development)
Workshop & Participation
- Downloadable workshop packs
- Icebreakers and creative prompts
- Storytelling exercises
- Media production activities
- Workshop strategies and facilitation notes
- Educational / community toolkit resources
- Documentation of workshop process
- Participant-created outputs
Public Engagement
- News / updates / blog section
- Behind-the-scenes development
- Public sharing events and performances
- Exhibition documentation
- Community feedback and reflections
- Social media integration
Future Vision: Future Folklore is intended as a scalable pilot model that could eventually allow communities across the UK to contribute their own stories, creating a growing public archive of contemporary folklore.
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