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My Story

My Story is a community arts project in libraries around Hertfordshire.

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Thanks to very generous funding from the Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants, we are delighted to present an ambitious programme of residencies at our libraries until June 2025.  

View the full schedule of residencies below or check our other My Story events

 

 

 

 Partner logos

Hertfordshire Libraries are proud to be partner with the Hertfordshire organisations listed above on the My Story project.

 

 

 

 

 

We've been proud to present My Story, our community arts project, since the pilot in 2019. The project began by encouraging members of the Hertfordshire community to share their stories of adolescence and growing up. The project worked with professional artists to bring these stories to life via a series of public workshops.

In 2021 and 2022, we hosted pilot residencies at Hitchin and North Watford Libraries with the artists Sophie Gresswell (Hitchin) and Sheila De Rosa (North Watford).

Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant funding then ensured we could present residencies across our library spaces from 2023-2025. So far this has included Victoria Culf, Katharine Harper, Hazel Russell, Kate Dean and Paula Watkins, Laura Cordery, Anna Schofield, Casey Joy and Mandy Johnson.

 

Libraries throughout St Albans

Art in the making at St Albans

Mandy Johnson explored the joy that can be found in art across the St Albans, Harpenden and Marshalwick libraries and in community settings. Her workshops brought over 1000 people to engage with creativity.

Read more about Mandy

 

Hoddesdon and Cheshunt Libraries

Art in the making at St Albans

Casey Joy lead workshops for all ages and abilities in Hoddesdon and Cheshunt. A successful 4 week course in creativity gave attendees the opportunity to connect with new people and learn new techniques in a safe and exclusive environment.

Read more about Casey

 

Anna Schofield's Residency

WGC (Anna Schofield's Residency) 1

Anna led forest bathing sessions for new parents to combat loneliness, hosted watercolour workshops for those living with dementia and their carers, worked with a local SEND school creating art from nature and found objects, and so much more.

Read more about Anna

 

Hertfordshire's History

HALS (Hertfordshire's History) 1

Laura Cordery explored local characters and stories, taking inspiration from archive  material and workshop participants to create a collaborative Victorian tunnel book inspired model box of a Hertfordshire pageant.

Read more about Laura

 

Little Books of Calm

Artists in the Creator Space

Kate Dean and Paula Watkins invited local residents to tell their own stories and make their own ‘Little Book of Calm’. Their sessions allowed participants to meet likeminded people and enjoy creativity without any pressure.

Read more about Kate and Paula

 

Collaborative Map of Stevenage

STE (Collaboartive Map of Stevenage) 1

Katharine Harper worked closely with Stevenage residents and visited community  hubs like Ridlins Athletics track and Stevenage FC to amplify the voices of Stevenage residents for her collaborative map of the town. 

Read more about Katherine

 

Hazel Russell’s Residency 

HAT (Hazel Russells Residency) 1

Hazel led an autumnal nature walk, created lights with families over Diwali and Fireworks Night and helped Hatfield residents create junk journals for the New Year. Her events gave people of all ages a chance experience something new and feel agency over their own creativity.

Read more about Hazel

 

Weaving Stories Together

Artist weaving

Victoria Culf hosted brilliant events over the summer on the theme of ‘weaving our stories together’. She interacted with the community and gave agency to local families by teaching them creative activities they could do with just household items.

Read more about Victoria

 

Every Envelope Tells a Story

Sophie Gresswell

Sophie’s project, Every Envelope Tells A Story, explored the themes of identity and heritage within the Hitchin community.

Sheila de Rosa’s Residency

Shiela with artworks

Sheila’s project explored the importance of place. She worked with the community of North Watford on a variety of projects from paper houses and folded books to photo transfer prints. 

 

Arts Council England and Hertfordshire County Council logos

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