Sharing Heritage
Andy Barratt from theatre group Excavate, said. “This project gave those who had worked on the railway a chance to share their life stories with younger generations.”
Netherfield was one of the country’s first railway towns. This project brought together Netherfield's community to celebrate the town's industrial past in a two-day festival. This included a community performance, an exhibition celebrating individuals’ contributions to the heritage of the town and a demonstration by train enthusiasts.
A community theatre group worked to get everyone involved and to create a play called Sparks are Flying in Loco Town. This captured what it was like to work on the railways, and traced the history of the town from the coming of the tracks to the implications of closure. Shown over five locations, the drama gave everyone in the town, from schoolchildren to pensioners, the opportunity to watch the performance.
Volunteers also gathered stories from older generations and recorded their experiences for an exhibition.