On Our Doorsteps

On Our Doorsteps was a community participation project – part of a nationwide programme exploring the relationship between urban communities and the natural spaces around us. The project was produced by We Live Here, in partnership with Norfolk & Norwich Festival and in collaboration with Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT).

Throughout March 2024, Finnish Graphic Novelist Tiitu Takalo, and Bristol-based writer Zakiya McKenzie met with local people in the Mile Cross and Marlpit areas of Norwich to unearth their stories of the area and understand how they relate to the nature around them. Zakiya ran a series of creative writing workshops with the community, while Tiitu met with four people with personal connections to the area to hear their stories.

‘It’s really striking to see these here. At first they don’t look like they belong in the landscape but then you see the artwork and they tell the story and history of this wonderful place.’ Local resident

The results of these engagements led to the creation of six new artworks – three graphic novel style panels, and three text-based pieces that were presented on billboards, installed along a trail on the newly acquired Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Sweet Briar Marshes site. The billboards were open for the public to view throughout Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2024. There were also two guided walks led by the artists, producer, and Norfolk Wildlife Trust held during the Festival.

Blog post: Tiitu Tikalo & Tim Harrison In Conversation

Artists

Tim Harrison (Producer), Zakiya Mackenzie, and Tiitu Takalo

Location

Norwich, Norfolk

Participants

13 local people from Mile Cross and Marlpit areas of Norwich

Partners

We Live Here and Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Kumbazu by Tiitu Takalo

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Richard by Tiitu Takalo

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Rachael & Dave by Tiitu Takalo

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Hold a Leaf by Zakiya Mackenzie

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Relax Here by Zakiya Mackenzie

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We Are Equal by Zakiya Mackenzie

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Produced by We Live Here, in partnership with Norfolk & Norwich Festival and in collaboration with Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

Supported by the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, React Accessibility and Inclusive Norwich.