In 2022, I produced Sharing Stories Through the Ages, a multi-partner project commissioned by Newcastle City Council as part of the region-wide Inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels programme. The project explored how storytelling and communication have evolved over time, connecting historical traditions of image and text with contemporary experiences.

​

Alongside leading the exhibition design and marketing for the project, I commissioned an augmented reality (AR) artist installation and developed a regional public engagement programme delivered across 13 libraries. The programme was designed to reach communities who may not regularly engage with cultural activity, with a particular focus on older and vulnerable residents.

​

Working with more than 100 participants, we co-created a collaborative zine through a series of participatory workshops exploring collage poetry, visual collage, zine-making and print processes. Through these creative activities, participants reflected on themes including modern communication, loneliness, media literacy, the future of work and the lasting social impact of COVID-19.

​

The work produced through the workshops formed part of a wider exhibition exploring storytelling across the ages, presented at Newcastle City Library. The exhibition attracted nearly 4,000 visitors and the project outputs were also incorporated into the library service’s schools outreach programme, extending the project’s reach to younger audiences.

​

My role combined strategic coordination with hands-on creative facilitation, including project management, audience development and recruitment, venue coordination with library staff, participatory engagement design, exhibition development and risk management. The project demonstrated how libraries can act as welcoming creative spaces where communities come together to share stories, experiences and perspectives across generations.