“Instead of listening to history, we’re doing history, we’re acting it out, we’re having to imagine it ourselves, and we’re all doing it together.”

Jackson, aged 10

We’re led by stories – the ones people tell, and the ones we create together. Since 1989, Chol has worked alongside communities to explore local heritage and the stories that matter most to the people who live them. Our work is fully co-created – shaped by many voices, perspectives and lived experiences.

We take time to get to know a place and its people. We listen, share stories, and make space for conversation. From there, we work together to turn real experiences into performances, exhibitions and creative projects that celebrate community life, preserve local memory and imagine new possibilities for the future.

Our projects bring generations together; older participants sharing lived experience and younger people reimagining stories in bold new ways. Through this exchange, we see people connect, learn and take pride in their communities.

For older participants, this work offers the chance to be heard and recognised – to see their lived experiences valued, reimagined and celebrated in new creative ways. Their knowledge and memories help to shape and contextualise the communities we live in today, inspiring stories that connect the past with the present.

CCOC

Children's Capital of Culture

For young co-creators, it’s about bringing fresh perspectives to both well known and newly discovered stories. Together we explore what heritage, connection and collaboration mean for the future, developing confidence, creative skills and a deeper sense of belonging beyond the classroom.

For everyone involved, it’s about shared ownership and pride. People come together to co-create and experience high quality performances and events in their own local spaces – building friendships, celebrating community identity, and feeling the joy of seeing their stories come to life where they live.

We’re increasingly exploring how our work connects with critical fabulation, a way of reimagining histories that have been marginalised or erased, combining known facts with creative storytelling to bring those untold narratives to life.

Every project is guided by Strive, our anti-racist and equity framework, ensuring that our processes are respectful, ethical and rooted in care. We take seriously our responsibility to represent people’s stories truthfully and sensitively, never exploiting lived experience, but instead shining a light on its value.

At its very core, our heritage and community arts work is about connection – between generations, between creativity and care, and between people and the places they call home.

As an example of one of our projects, Ella’s Peas, read our evaluation report here.