Stories of Solidarity: An Immersive Exhibition and Theatre Experience
Stories of Solidarity was born from two creative collaborations at Asylum Link Merseyside (ALM). One, a zine-making project with the women’s group, celebrated strength, creativity, and community through handmade publications. The other, Afloat, a Theatre for Social Change project. Though developed independently, both projects uncovered how creative practice can open space for reflection, connection, and action—what ALM Centre Manager Ewan Roberts described as helping people be seen “outside the usual tribe.”
Following a wave of far-right violence in Liverpool in the summer of 2024—where key community sites became both targets of xenophobia and symbols of grassroots resistance—the idea emerged to bring these two projects together. The result is Stories of Solidarity, a unified creative response to trauma, resistance, and collective care.
At the heart of this experience is a single immersive space that houses both an exhibition and live theatre performance, allowing audiences to fully enter the world of Stories of Solidarity.
What to Expect
🖼️ The Exhibition
A powerful collection of community-made collages reflecting the themes of resistance and solidarity during the 2024 unrest, alongside photographs, artwork, and materials from the Afloat project. Created during workshops held across affected sites in Liverpool, the exhibition has been co-produced by zine-artists Jo Wilson and Dr Emeri Curd.
🎭 The Immersive Theatre Experience
Performed live by Afloat Theatre, this intimate performance takes audiences on a journey through the events of the riots—offering a visceral, human perspective on migration, belonging, and defiance. The theatre and exhibition are interwoven in a single room, immersing the audience fully in the stories being told. Directed by Phoebe McSweeney.
Produced by Heather Bullen & Sonia Chapman
Stories of Solidarity is a living testament to what happens when communities come together in the face of division—and when art becomes both witness and catalyst for change.
Funded by Harmonised Impact Accelerator Funding