1001 Stories, a Takeover of Leeds Playhouse by Older People, was a mass participation project, a revolutionary two-week takeover. It gave older people the opportunity to perform, exhibit and express stories from throughout their lives. 1001 Stories, from people over 60, were collected and are stored in a digital archive

 A collection of stories that celebrate lives. Past, present, and future of humans living in or related to the city of Leeds.

The project was a collaboration between The Performance Ensemble, Leeds Playhouse, Leeds 2023, Leeds Museums and Galleries, and Leeds Older Peoples Forum. It ran from the 24th of April till the 7th of May 2023. A huge range of activities took place throughout the two weeks including symposiums, workshops, performances, bread-baking, dancing, and rollerskating. View the whole schedule of events.

We partnered with Field Studios to produce 1001 Stories: Radical Acts of Being Human. Taking place in the Bramall Rock Void Theatre, the audience experienced glimpses of the 1001 stories through a fully immersive, audio-visual experience, which combined theatre lighting, graphics, typographic sculpture, and projections. 

As a part of the takeover John Fox MBE and Sue Gill, founders of the company Welfare State International and world-renowned community art pioneers, were commissioned to write a book. “Eighty-Something: A Lifetime of Conversation” is a reflection on the challenges, successes, and adventures of the couple. “The book is a way of giving thanks”, says Sue. 

Everyone has a story to tell, regardless of their age or how creative they believe themselves to be.

Sinfonia, a production by The Performance Ensemble, premiered as the centerpiece of the takeover, in the Quarry Theatre. Sinfonia intertwines the personal stories of the performers with beautiful music and dance.

Dramaturg Duska Radosavljevic attended the two-week takeover and wrote her own story about her experience and her thoughts on Sinfonia: her blog.