Echoes project

Echoes is a creative participatory project celebrating 50 years of Chickenshed, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and will provide an opportunity to capture and preserve Chickenshed’s heritage from members of Chickenshed’s community past and present for future generations to come.

1974-1984

Original Chickenshed members from the 70s and early 80s paired with current Young Company members to exchange letters about their experiences and Chickenshed's development over the past 50 years. They met for the first time at a special event during Chickenshed's Young Company Futures Festival, celebrating the past, present and future of Chickenshed's young people.

1984-1994

Decade 2 has been celebrating Enfield as the home and long-term supporter of Chickenshed. In February, we held an event entitled 'A Place of Our Own', commemorating the time leading up to, and finding our home, our theatre in Enfield.

1994-2004

At the beginning of the 1990s, Chickenshed put on a production of Anansi at the Royal Albert Hall, connecting schools from every London borough. This event pioneered Chickenshed’s inclusive education programmes, which we know today. In September, Chickenshed held a screening of Anansi, reuniting those involved in the original production.

Chickenshed's foundation degree students also held a workshop at Livingstone Primary School in Barnet, one of the schools which originally participated in the Anansi performance, about the show and its impact on the wider community.

2004-2014

After a vote which took place last Christmas, the Chickenshed community selected PAN to be Chickenshed's 50th Christmas show. A reunion event took place on the 8th of January reconnecting those who were involved in previous productions of PAN at Chickenshed.

2014-2024

On 22 May, Decade 5 held its first event with nearly 100 participants aged 16-21. The Steering Group, composed of individuals with lived experience, conducted interviews on gang violence and knife crime. The event featured a workshop led by the 'Crime of the Century' team and Chickenshed student mentors, aimed at sparking conversation on these issues. This later informed the 'Answer This...?' conference which took place in July at Chickenshed, where these issues were further explored with partner organisations. 

'The Fabric of Chickenshed' exhibition ran at Chickenshed in September and October, later travelling to The Dugdale Centre in Enfield Town and then on to the Fore Street Library in Edmonton, showcasing Chickenshed's heritage from its inception to finding its home in Enfield.

Watch some videos below exploring Chickenshed's history, which were originally shown as part of our 'Fabric of Chickenshed' exhibition