Along with 79 other arts centres, libraries and museums across the UK, Lincoln Arts Centre has secured £15,000 from Future Arts Centre’s to bring to life the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) Digital Archive in Lincoln. The programme, which is supported by UK Government through Arts Council England and in partnership with Libraries Connected, will be based in arts centres and libraries to build on their established relationships within their localities. An additional 20 celebrations will take place in museums, resulting in a total of 80 communities projects to mark the 80th anniversary. 

Our Freedom: Then and Now, is a new programme of community-based events in arts centres and libraries across the UK to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. This memorable programme will give communities a unique opportunity to reflect on the end of the Second World War and to explore what freedom means for them, then and now. 

In Lincolnshire, the RAF is built into our fabric. We are bomber county, as such, we will be working with the IBCC, as well as communities across Lincolnshire to identify and activate stories that resonate with them. Participants will take part in a series of facilitated workshops designed to unearth and interpret stories from the IBCC Digital Archive. This phase includes:  

• Story Discovery Workshops – Guided by expert archivists and archive volunteers, participants will explore the IBCC Digital Archive alongside the commissioned poem to understand its relevance to Lincolnshire and the RAF, and reflect on and interpret the stories they’ve uncovered.  
• New Story Development – The outcome will be a collaboratively created bank of stories combining historical RAF perspectives with contemporary lived experiences. 

Participants will then help us work with a professional artist to create bold, large scale creative responses; think giant flash mobs, large scale sculpture or poetry on the side of buildings. Working with Associate & Innovate Artists at the Lincoln Arts Centre , we will honour the past and shape the future by bringing together intergenerational participants as part of the project. 

Call to Action

Want to take part? We are primarily looking for participants who are:

• RAF personnel, or have a strong connection with the RAF 

• Students 

• Living in or around Boston Fenside  

• Interested in Lincolnshire History  

• Ready to bring stories to life in Lincolnshire! 

Guided by experts, you’ll delve into the powerful stories preserved in the International Bomber Command Centre’s Digital Archive. From there, you’ll have the opportunity to choose and commission a professional visual or performance artist to develop a creative response. Together, we’ll create an ambitious, high-quality artistic event, performance, or artwork to be showcased at Lincoln Arts Centre later this year.

Sign up through the online form below before June 15th!