Moving Roots
We believe in co-creation as a mechanism for direct and impactful social change.
Moving Roots is a collective of arts organisations; Battersea Arts Centre, Restoke, Common Wealth, The Old Courts and Jumped Up Theatre, spanning across the UK (London, Cardiff, Wigan and Peterborough.)
Across three years we will collaborate with communities and artists to explore pioneering new ways to make, stage and tour live performances across the UK. Moving Roots will give local people the agency and empowerment for them to be a catalyst for creativity, leadership and the change they want to see in their communities.
The process of co-creation at the core of Moving Roots challenges hierarchies and ‘top-down’ ways of working – we love it because it invites a wide range of voices to the table making the work rich, relevant and powerful.
click here to download the moving roots report
If you want to get in touch about this project, contact Christie Hill, Moving Roots producer at Battersea Arts Centre on christieh@bac.org.uk
This project has been generously supported by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation.
Manifesto
We will not use jargon, and make sure language and process is clear and de-mystified
We will be receptive to gifts
The work will be artistically excellent
“Not about us, without us”
The project will encourage people to be more active in their own lives/community
The project will enable people to blow up old narratives & practice new ones
Where possible, support the onward progression of people; take them beyond volunteering and give access to paid work
Dig deeper
The project will make people feel differently
Projects
YEAR ONE – RENT PARTY
Rent Party, by Darren Pritchard, passed the mic around talented artists from marginalised communities to tell stories of who they are, the challenges they’ve faced, and to showcase their extraordinary talents.
YEAR TWO – EPIC FAIL
Created by artist Kid Carpet, Epic Fail was a project made with 120 year 5 pupils that played to over 800 kids and adults and explored engineering, clowning, failure, wellbeing and fizzy milk!
YEAR THREE
In this final year of the project, partners chose different projects, recognizing that although our organisations and communities have some similarities, our tastes and needs are different.
Learning & Reflection
Circles of Care by Maddy Costa
Read part one of our Learning and Reflection series. Our first instalment is from writer, Maddy Costa, who reflects on our learnings around care, working with the brilliant partners on the Moving Roots consortium.
How (not) to run a participatory writing project by Maddy Costa
In 2020, Maddy Costa challenged BAC to support more people to write about theatre – only to receive a challenge back. Welcome to the Moving Roots Writing Project: an experiment in community criticism.
The Uses of Failure by Maddy Costa
Inspired by Epic Fail and the writers in the Moving Roots Writing Project, Maddy Costa reflects on why ‘the right to fail’ is so important – in theatre, and beyond.
Get involved, get critical, get creative, by Maddy Costa
As the Moving Roots Writing Project comes to an end, Maddy Costa and the four participants share some final thoughts – not least, why projects like this should be happening in more places, more often
Partners
Restoke, Stoke
Restoke are our brand new partner to joining the Moving Roots Touring Network in 2022-23.
They will join for the final 18 months of the project to deliver the second project, confirmed as Epic Fail by artist Kid Carpet & a third project in 2023 TBC.
Common Wealth Theatre, East Cardiff
We are a site specific theatre company, who tell the stories of now. Passionate about social change we see our work as campaigns.
We are currently as part of our welsh arm situated in East Cardiff. We are here, embedding our work into East Cardiff, understanding what is needed here and responding in our capacity as a creative organisation to raise the voices here, break down entry points and shift narratives.
Jumped Up Theatre, Peterborough
Jumped Up is focused on listening and responding to communities in Peterborough, particularly those who are seeking more equity in the city, in representation, authority and resource. We have a particular interest in working with young people, women, diverse communities and people with disabilities.
We want to look to the future, uncertain as it is, with the knowledge that there are many fantastic individuals doing great things here and that we can do even greater things by working together, across social boundaries.
The Old Courts, Wigan
The Old Courts is an Arts Centre in Wigan, Greater Manchester; dedicated to creating space for unrepresented voices in our community. We believe that art is not a thing of privilege reserved for the chosen few, we all have a right to create and engage with arts and culture and express ourselves through it.
We believe in our mission to inspire the community and embrace vibrant arts and culture.
Gallery
