A year-long artistic residency in one of Britain’s largest secondary schools, Sydney Russell School in Barking and Dagenham.

Marking the 100 year anniversary of suffrage and the Representation of the People Act in 1918, the residency is celebrating the rich feminist heritage of Barking and Dagenham, exploring the female heroes that have come to define the borough’s past and present – and boldly imagining how its young people will go on to define its future and become the change makers of tomorrow.

Working with different classes from Sydney Russell School for a whole academic year, artists/companies including leading theatre company Complicite, beatboxer Bellatrix and award-winning filmmaker Eelyn Lee, has worked with students and teaching staff at the school to deliver an ambitious and wide-ranging programme of creative projects.

Change makers is unique edition in our work supporting creative arts practice in schools and colleges.

On 29 June 22 young people from Sydney Russell School came together to perform Barking Nuns, the powerful story of the first female abbess of Barking Abbey.

Created in partnership with Complicité alongside volunteer researchers from Valence House Museum the Barking Nuns project used theatre as a tool to explore local history. As well as looking back, the project boldly imagined how young people will go on to define the future and become the change makers of tomorrow.

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