And what a season it has been! With over 587 bookers with the average age being between 26 – 45 and 43.2% of bookers being based right here at home in Lincoln. The season set out to explore what it means to feel at home through the lens of Lincoln’s and Lincolnshire’s rich heritage, it’s increasingly welcoming nature and our wonderfully diverse communities.

As we are incredibly proud of the artists, partners, organisations, young people and students which have taken us on this journey to capture some of the essence of what living in Lincolnshire means, we must take a moment to look back and illuminate them.

The Gallery saw two exhibitions!

Tinashe Chipawe’s exhibition ‘Community Resilience’ explored what it means to be resilient by highlighting the power of leaning on our communities. Toil and Trouble & General Practice investigated creativity, control and unpredictability within the setting of the gallery space in the exhibition ‘How We Find Out Who We Are’.

“What stood out for me this season was our two gallery exhibitions: I thoroughly enjoyed working with the artists to make their exhibition come together in our space and experience the buzz that was brought on the opening nights. Both exhibitions were such a success and really showcased exceptional talent.” – Our General Manager Holly Cox

In the Auditorium we hosted two thought provoking conferences in partnership with the Barbican Creative Hub. ‘Future Perspectives’ highlighted creatives responses to the climate crisis and ‘Technically Speaking’ reflected on and challenged us through an ‘anti-ableist’ lens in the technical spaces and access software.

Indie Lincs brought us their annual international film festival and kept us inspired with a selection monthly film screening funded by the British Film Institute. We mustn’t forget the community film screening created by film students here at the University. This shone a light on the community members in Lincoln such as the litter pickers, to the community world or community gardens. 

We welcomed the first regional Theatre Company of Sanctuary, Maison Foo & Friends, with their heart-warming show ‘A Seat At Our Table’ and the accompanying installation ‘Meet Your Neighbour’; a celebration of food, family, and friendship inspired by the stories of those seeking sanctuary in the UK. During their residency, we facilitated conversations with sanctuary seekers from across Lincolnshire, exploring what it means to be a truly welcoming place. These discussions took place in dialogue with policymakers, including local MPs and councillors, helping to bridge lived experience with decision-making.

Our Associate Artists Casson & Friends premiered ‘Shed Stories‘ delving into the Men’s Shed phenomenon with questions around mental health and in the search of finding purpose. The production commissioned by us is now going on tour across Lincolnshire!

And let’s not forget what was on for the young folk of Lincolnshire. Our Innovate Artists the Boondog Balladeer’s had their first showing of the charming family friendly show ‘Captain Godfrey and the Last Shanty’. Meanwhile Tall Stories’ ‘The Gruffalo’ brought the classic children’s book to life on stage delighting children and adults.

It appears there is no direct answer to what it really means to feel at home, and we all have our own perspectives. whilst we explored home as a theme we also invested in plenty of home grown talent with plenty of original commissions, by Lincolnshire artists.  This made it clear that the ‘Art’ and all those involved over the season have been essential in approaching our aims so a big thank you too all involved!