Lightbear Lane: ‘Proud to Be’ St Thomas

Lightbear Lane are a small, Exeter-based non-profit organisation who shine a light on the importance of the arts, culture, performance and music in community, nature and heritage spaces. Through facilitation, consultancy and artistic practice,  joint directors Dr Judith Morgane and Sarah Spencer utilise and re-purpose different spaces to support wellbeing in communities and help them take creative ownership of their spaces.

Lightbear Lane’s ‘Proud to Be’ is a community-driven arts and heritage project, designed to explore and celebrate local pride of place, identity and belonging. The initiative brings together diverse community voices, capturing stories, experiences and creativity to create a shared story of place. Centred on co-creation, the project uses film, visual art and storytelling to give individuals the tools and confidence to tell their own stories, resulting in a collective work that reflects the richness and diversity of the community.

The project seeks to:

  • Encourage people from all backgrounds to reflect on and share what makes them proud of their community.

  • Foster social cohesion by creating space for conversations across cultures, generations and life experiences to address the challenges we are facing together.

  • Build participants’ agency and confidence to express themselves.

  • Contribute to local cultural heritage by documenting contemporary lived experiences.

Building on the work and development from the previous Creative Arc-funded project in Mincinglake and Whipton, this next iteration will focus on St Thomas and will involve:

  • Community mapping of perceived assets, trails/routes

  • Postcards/creative artwork

  • Audio/video interviews

  • Video clip documenting the project with a view to use for further funding applications

  • Podcast featuring selected community stories

  • Community showcase of contributions

  • Online record of project and contributions

Feedback shows Proud to Be builds confidence, enhances skills, and fosters pride and connection. For many, it was their first time sharing their stories publicly; an empowering experience. ‘Proud to Be: St Thomas’ will continue Lightbear Lane’s work in strengthening community cohesion, preserving intangible heritage and ultimately to influence policy makers with the body of information.