Where it all began…

In April 2021, we ran a pilot in Byker, Newastle upon Tyne, to test out how we would run the Curious Caravan and how people would interact with it and with us. We had three main aims: 

• To connect with people after lockdown

• To tell positive stories of refugees and asylum seekers

• To engage with new people

We set out two tables with chairs so families and small groups of friends could come and chat to us. We served teas, coffees, cold drinks and cakes to people as they arrived. Our story collectors explained that we were there to collect stories from local people about their lives and experiences and whatever they wanted to share with us! Some of the stories we would tell to other people if they were happy for them to be shared, or they would be stored away in the secret box to be kept between us. The story collectors would share stories from people who came before, from people they know, and stories from their own lives.

It was an informal space to come and experience being outdoors and talking to people after so long of not being able to do so. One woman who came to talk to us at the pilot session hadn’t been outside for a whole year due to the pandemic, the Curious Caravan was her first outside connection. The session gave us the opportunity to meet lots of people and begin establishing relationships in the community.

We attracted a lot more children to the caravan than we were expecting. The experience was designed for adults and also families, but because of the location coupled with it being during half term holidays, the Curious Caravan gained a lot of interest from children who in turn, persuaded older family members to bring them along.

As a Theatre Company of Sanctuary, we aim to tell positive stories of people seeking sanctuary. Some of the stories we told during the pilot session came from our play HERE, which was created with input from members of the Arriving group and has characters who are sanctuary seekers. Stories were told from The Book of Here which was written by the Arriving group, which involved the participants sharing some of their own stories. Everyone who came to the Curious Caravan was given The Book of Here to take away with them.

Future Plans

We want to take the Curious Caravan to places all over the North East to share and collect stories from the different communities, people and places we encounter. Our story collectors are eager to meet a broad range of people and find new ways to collect and tell stories.

We will be thinking about new aims for our connections each time we take out the Curious Caravan to make every experience purposeful and valuable. Our first trip out was purely about creating an experience and forming connections. Our future trips might be about collecting stories to go into a new Book of Here or as an opportunity to show people our new 360 films about the experiences of those living and working in the care system. Watch this space!

“I remember the moments of connection the most. That moment where my eyes locked with the listener and their or my imagined story was being painted in the mind of the other. It's a moment of recognition, connection that as an artist feels great because you know the story is alive. Personally though, it felt incredible to do that as one of the first things I did out of lock down- healing, nourishing and hopeful.” 

Debbie, A Story Collector