Story gathering project celebrates coastal heritage

A story-gathering project celebrating three very different coastal communities in the East of England hoped to "unearth hidden histories".

It aimed to unite the communities of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, Harwich in Essex and Orford Ness in Suffolk.

Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures has been funded by Historic England, which said it centres on inclusivity and working with diverse local communities.

Organisers hoped to gather 150 stories and images which will be shown at public events from 28 to 30 May as part of the UK-wide Beach of Dreams Festival.

Tamsin Silvey, Historic England cultural programme curator, said: "Through working with artists, people will have a chance to explore the heritage on their doorsteps, unearth hidden histories and celebrate what makes their towns so special.

"The project will also enable people to reflect on the future of their places as this coastline changes."

The project, run by community-driven art and design organisation Kinetika, is a partnership between Essex Book Festival, covering Harwich and Orford Ness, and Out There Arts, covering Great Yarmouth.

In Harwich, walking tours, workshops and community engagement days were organised with the Connect without Limits Autism Group, African Families in the UK and Refugee, Asylum Seekers and Migrant Action.

The festival team also worked with photographer/filmmaker Lucia Barbagallo and writer Emma Kittle-Pey to access the coastal nature reserve Orford Ness, with the support of its manager, the National Trust.

Essex Book Festival director Ros Green said: "Orford Ness and Harwich, both steeped in history, have different stories to tell - it has been a privilege finding out more about these two extraordinary coastal destinations."

In Great Yarmouth, Out There Arts produced 13 events, including historic research at libraries, heritage walks and community talks led by local historians, story gathering sessions and pennant design workshops.

One participant, David Ball said he had not previously been "aware of the rich history in Yarmouth".

"For me, it showed that, even without climate change, the seashore on the East coast has always been a dynamic environment," he added.

The stories, memories and images will inspire written work, drawings and photographs created by artists.

These will be revealed to the public in digital content and as silk pennants, which will be on display during free Beach of Dreams Festival events across Harwich, Orford Ness and Great Yarmouth.

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