A continuation of ‘The Chapters of our Lives’ and The Story Continues

Commissioned by The National Memorial Arboretum October - November 2023

‘The Chapters of Our Lives’ captured the stories of ten Birmingham-based artists, creatives and influential people that Janet Douglas (Feed My Creative CIC) knows and had interviewed over a period of time.

These stories were based on the photograph(s) provided by each person and were connected to a speaker. As the exhibition was tactile and interactive, all you needed to do was gently touch the interactive parts that had been sewn in and you were then able to hear the person speak about the photograph.

‘The Story Continues’ was our continuation of that exhibition, inviting visitors to engage with the story of one of the participants in new ways.

Through multimedia elements that included soundbites, video and music, ‘The Story Continues’ brought to life the shared experiences and moments of this individual. It was another interactive tale that chronicled the decades-long friendship of the main participant and her circle of loved ones, following their journey from the Caribbean to the UK.

“The Chapters was always meant to be a way to connect with audiences in a tactile way. You go to exhibitions and are not allowed to touch the exhibits. This exhibition encourages you to touch and explore. The impact this has had on visitors and participants has been phenomenal. I wanted participants to choose their own photos as they hold the memories behind them and for those who see and interact will walk away with a smile and expand on conversations with others. It was important to capture these stories before it was too late.”

Feedback from Mark Ellis, National Memorial Arboretum Lead

“It was an absolute pleasure to work in collaboration with Janet when she brought her twin interactive storytelling exhibitions, ‘The Chapter of Our Lives’ and ‘The Story Continues’, to the National Memorial Arboretum. The exhibitions were excellent but what really made a difference was Janet’s passion, commitment, and enthusiasm throughout the project.  She has the ability to strike up remarkable relationships with people from across the community and to bring their stories to life through innovative techniques.  Janet clearly has a determination to shine a light on stories that have been forgotten or suppressed and the way in which her work brings these out into the open will leave a legacy beyond the dates on the installation.

Throughout the exhibition period, Janet became a familiar and friendly face at the Arboretum.  She worked tirelessly to bring people to the site and was always happy to spend time talking about her work with visitors, staff and volunteers.  I thoroughly enjoyed having Janet as part of our extended team for a few months and I look forward to seeing her deliver her exciting plans for the future.”