Your Town, My Town, Our Town

A partnership between Norfolk & Norwich Festival and Breckland District Council, Your Town, My Town, Our Town is a three-year programme artist-led youth engagement in Swaffham – a market town in Norfolk. It forms an integral part of a wider High Street regeneration project, Swaffham – A Historic Market Town which aims to revive the town’s historic high streets and champion its rich character, culture and heritage assets. 

Recognising that local young people are often disconnected from developments and from the social and cultural infrastructure of Swaffham, Norfolk & Norwich Festival has been commissioned to deliver this programme from 2024 to 2027. Through it, we will support and enable Swaffham’s young people to help shape their towns future through a programme of activities that bring their voice to the fore.  

We propose to put creativity at the heart of how children and young people experience their town by making a space where they can share experiences; create new ones; showcase their talents; and build skills for their futures, all while fostering a deeper connection to their community. 

Your Town, My Town, Our Town will create a model of youth engagement that will help bring young people’s ideas to the forefront of conversations and planning.     

In summer 2024 we begin this process when a cohort of young people who will work with a filmmaker to create a short film that represents their experiences of living in a rural market town and addressing how it affects their self-identity and sense of belonging. The film will act as a ‘conversation starter’, seeking to capture their voices and their perspectives on the future of rural market towns like Swaffham. 

Artists

Mountain Way Pictures

Location

Swaffham, Norfolk

Participants

7-18 years olds

Partners

Historic England, Breckland District Council, Swaffham Town Council and Swaffham Cultural Consortium

Supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund