Story Bocs
We're building a wondrous (and occasionally monstrous) travelling library of interactive, multimedia stories. Each book shaped box has Things inside - some you can touch, some you listen to, some listen to you!
When we have enough bocs (old English for book in case you're wondering), we'll be hitting the road, touring community spaces and sharing stories. In the meantime, we are just putting the finishing touches to a virtual exhibition of the bocs and other artefacts that we have created so far - to get notified when that goes live follow us on socials or sign up to our newsletter, links at the foot of the page.
Every bocs tells a different tale in a different way. There's always a story and an artistic element, some have moving parts or play recorded sounds. They are designed to be picked up and interacted with, which is important for accessibility - providing a tactile experience for people with visual impairment for example. As with all inclusive elements, that also benefits the wider audience, breaking down what is often a very literal barrier when it comes to visual arts. We have come to associate art with standing several feet away from a thing which is often behind glass, our hands behind our backs. This has led to many people feeling intimidated, that they're not allowed somehow, that it's not 'for them'. Sod that.
The library has a story all its own and to add to the adventure, we have created an archive of specially done artwork, stories and artefacts revealing the lore. We've posted some highlights below.
It's important that accessible, inclusive events are created with the community, so we know we are putting on the best show we possibly can - and meeting the complex needs people have. To start the conversation, we have already done a series of workshops inviting residents of Newcastle's east end to create a bocs telling their own stories. Bocs like the vintage bird themed piece below, which was made using scraps of fabric that held memories for the person, and beautiful things from their garden. We had another pop-up show in Gateshead, inviting people to come and see some of the Story Bocs and add to a community build, one of many ways we are exploring that will enable us to take you on tour with us!
As we go bigger, we can fit in more ways to bring the bocs alive and we're now in talks with like minded organisations to start test building some giant, walk-in bocs for a truly immersive story, which is incredibly exciting. Slightly terrifying, but mostly exciting :)
We keep all of our public projects free to access because we know that financial struggles often impact peoples' ability to engage with the arts, whether as audiences or creatives. We do have to pay for all this somehow of course and that's where our fundraising comes in.
We're currently working on plans for next year's crowdfunding and other opportunities. Alongside custom builds and library packs, we're going to be offering more ways creatives can actively join in and in the process, holding the door open for someone else. Subscribe to our newsletter below for updates on events and how you can get involved.