Memory Lanes

Whilst the doors to our building were closed for the pandemic, we embarked on an exciting project called Memory Lanes.

The Theatre brought its well-loved gallery out on to the streets of Chipping Norton, creating an exhibition of living memories with the help of its community.

In partnership with Chipping Norton Museum and the popular ‘Chipping Norton Then & Now’ Facebook page, The Theatre invited local people to submit photos of Chipping Norton and its community from years gone by.

We were looking for photos that evoked a sense of occasion: jubilee street parties, the Chippy Mop, market day, a snap of the old recording studio or perhaps even of The Theatre itself. We were keen to see anything that recalled a time when people came together in Chippy, and that one day we would return to – and we were not disappointed!

The Theatre chose a selection of the fantastic submissions to feature in the Memory Lanes exhibition, and the photos were positioned around the town for the community to enjoy for free, for the entire month of June 2021. The routes were fully accessible and spaced to comply with the government guidelines around Covid safety, avoiding all indoor areas.

At a time of uncertainty and isolation, our Memory Lanes exhibition was a cheerful reminder of Chippy’s community potential, and a project that we plan to build on further. Watch this space…!