Our new blog series will look back on some of the fantastic work supported by CultureDale as part of the 2024 Year of Culture by interviewing organisations who benefitted from our support. We also have new projects being developed through our CultureDale Cohesion Fund, stay tuned for more information on these to follow soon!

Northern Broadsides- Project Overview

Iron People was Northern Broadsides’ very first community-led project, created as part of Calderdale’s Year of Culture. Taking inspiration from Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man and The Iron Woman, the project brought people from across Calderdale together to explore our relationship with nature through storytelling, performance, and hands-on creative workshops.

It all built up to an incredible finale at Eureka!, with giant puppets, live music, and local residents performing side-by-side with professional artists - a real celebration of Calderdale’s creativity.

What was the impact of CultureDale support, and what did you learn from the project?

We were lucky to be supported by seven different funders, each backing a specific part of the project. The CultureDale funding in particular gave us the freedom to deliver a wide range of high-quality, community-led events across Calderdale. Thanks to their support, we were able to run:

·      Family Creativity Days at five venues, where children and families explored storytelling, movement, crafts and art.

·      The Writer’s Refuge & community acting sessions, giving local residents and people seeking sanctuary the chance to build confidence, share their stories, and develop new creative skills.

·      Community projects in Sowerby Bridge and Todmorden, where people explored local environmental issues through sculpture, writing, music, and performances.

·      The Cromwell Bottom audio project, an immersive trail of community-written stories and poems celebrating the beauty of the local landscape.

Iron People gave us so many new connections - not just with audiences, but with venues, environmental groups, and community hubs who supported the events. It helped us reach people who don’t usually engage with cultural activity, and we were able to build stronger, more trusting relationships across Calderdale.

We also forged brilliant partnerships with schools and libraries we’d never worked with before. Collaborating with local artists and community producers deepened our links to Calderdale’s cultural network, and those relationships have already blossomed into longer-term projects. Our Community Producers were Lucy Rose Feein Sowerby Bridge, Katrina Heath in Todmorden, and Shazia Bibi in Park Ward.

For example, Park Youth Theatre was born during Iron People and is still running weekly at Unique Community Hub, giving young people in Park Ward a free and creative outlet. And through The Writer’s Refuge, we partnered with St Augustine’s Centre, Valley of Sanctuary, and Arvon to support refugees and people seeking asylum in sharing their stories - culminating in a published anthology of their work.

Iron People has been nothing short of transformative for us. Some of the most immediate impacts included:

A stronger team: our staff developed new skills in co-creation, evaluation, and sustainable practice, which led us to achieve Theatre Green Book Basic accreditation and even a UK Theatre Award Nomination for excellence in sustainability.

A higher profile: the project attracted 16 press articles and more than 2.6 million digital impressions, putting Calderdale on the map as a creative hub and helping us make a stronger case for future funding.

Personal impact: we heard countless powerful stories from participants. Hana Gillani discovered her voice as a refugee writer. Phil Bruce overcame a lifelong fear of public speaking. These individual journeys have been just as inspiring as the big headline results.

Most importantly, Iron People reshaped how we see ourselves as a company. We now know that, alongside our national touring productions, we can deliver ambitious, high-quality, community-led projects that make a real difference.

What other work do you have coming soon for people to get involved in?

We’re not stopping here! Building on everything we learned from Iron People, we’re building in this community-led approach into everything we do.

·      Park Youth Theatre is continuing to thrive in Halifax, and we’ve just launched a brand-newgroup for 15–18 year olds with support from Calderdale Council’s Culture Fund. Find out more here.

·      We’re developing the Cromwell Bottom audio project further, working with the Nature Reserve to make it a permanent visitor experience.

·      Our free online playwriting programme, Life in a Northern Town, is welcoming its next cohort of young people from across Yorkshire. Guided by professional theatre makers, they’ll learn everything from creating characters to writing dialogue, with the chance to see their ideas come to life.

·      And of course, we’re preparing for our next professional production -watch this space!

You can keep up to date with everything we’re doing by following Northern Broadsides on social media or visiting our website.

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