We are pleased to announce the launch of Teenage Wildlife, a new multi-generational community engagement project, which will encourage Barnsley residents to engage with the history of Eldon Street and the wider town centre by sharing their teenage experiences, as part of the Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone.
Over the next two years, we’ll be working with Barnsley Museums and other cultural partners, to collect, share and celebrate the teenage experiences of Barnsley residents from the last 70 years. The project will explore the highs, the lows, the differences, and the marks left on Eldon Street and the wider area by Barnsley youth cultures.
Local and past residents will be asked to share their stories and photographs in monthly themed callouts, including topics such as music, fashion, youth employment, education, cinema, theatre, pubs, and youth clubs.
These will be shared as part of a new Teenage Wildlife digital archive during the second year of the project. There will also be pop-up exhibitions and the development of a brand-new piece of community theatre, inspired by Barnsley’s Teenage Wildlife stories.
The project launches with a call-out for stories and images connected to Leslie Frances Hairdressing, and those of former dance and theatre school students. There will be multiple opportunities for the public to be involved, including by sharing their stories online, in person, or by being a project volunteer. Keep an eye on social media, our website and Barnsley Museums websites for more details.
So, we want to hear from you! We’re you a student at a local dance school as a teenager. Did you go to Mavis Burrow’s School of Dance or Rosalyn Wicks Dance School? Were you a theatre student at PADS? Were you a teenage apprentice at Leslie Frances or another town centre salon? We want to hear from you?
To share your story, visit: www.barnsleycivic.co.uk/teenage-wildlife/
Or get in touch with us on our brand new social media channels specifically for the project!
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Teenage Wildlife is funded by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and is part of the Eldon Street Heritage Action Zone, a partnership between Barnsley Council and Historic England. The project forms part of Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones’ Cultural Programme.
