The Box is a new initiative led by The Dukes that places emphasis on collaborative work with and amongst diverse community groups. We’re inviting groups to embark on a creative journey with an artist of their choosing to co-create a piece in response to the theme ‘Roots’.

Working in parallel, groups began their creative journey with a box, exploring its contents to develop a response reflective of their individual and collective identities. We wanted to ensure that the boxes themselves made groups feel curious about the project’s theme and excited to start their artistic journeys. We also wanted to ensure that the boxes could be reused year on year with new groups, for new ideas and inspiration. We therefore enlisted the help of Lancaster Men’s Hub, a brilliant local charity created to support people of all ages in the Lancaster area with their physical and mental health through a wide variety of activities. With thanks to funding from 3R Foundation, the Men’s Hub have crafted 6 beautiful boxes that helped launch this year’s Box project.

The front of a wooden box with a Dukes wooden label.
Lancaster Men's Hub and 3R Foundation & Charity Shop logos

Find out more about the community groups involved down below. 

Prime Time

Prime Time is for community members 60+ who want to meet up with like-minded people and take part in creative opportunities and new experiences. With 3 terms throughout the year, the weekly sessions include acting, performance, script writing, directing and theatre technology and participants are offered opportunities to perform at showcase events. Sessions run in both Morecambe and Lancaster.

Prime Time has been running at The Dukes since 2023, originally supported by the National Lottery Community Fund. During this time, the project has become a bestpractice example of a Creative Ageing project as recognised by the Arts Council England and has hosted a national Creative Ageing symposium. We work closely in partnership with local organisations, including Lancaster District CVS, Lancaster University and Age UK and have developed an extensive network across the health and creative sectors and academia.

Prime Time is working with Charlie Brown on The Box. Charlie is a creative freelancer and Youth and Community Worker specialising in community projects, music technology and community singing. 

Prime Time Members wearing red and black, dancing on stage
Three Prime Time members as well as other people sitting on chairs along the wall, laughing
Prime Time members standing around a wooden box. When member is pulling a bag with acorns in them out the box.

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Lancashire Young Carers

Lancashire Young Carers Service supports young people under the age of 18 who provide regular and ongoing care and emotional support to a family member who has a disability, mental health challenge or misuses substances. Lancashire Young Carers Service offers one-to-one support, and supports with access to services and a range of opportunities.

Lancashire Young Carers are working with musician and practitioner, Ben McCabe, from More Music. Lancashire Young Carers engagement with The Box has been generously funded by Victoria Wood Foundation.

Barnardos, The Victoria Wood Foundation and More Music logos
Young Carers and their leaders sitting on chairs along the wall.
Young Carers, their leaders and More Music members sitting around a table with wooden box in the middle.
A close-up of Marianne and Ben from More Music, wearing red, with both their legs crossed and arms around their knees.

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Traveller Heritage Group

Traveller Heritage is a new group, bringing together young people from Lancaster and Morecambe with their family members to take part in creative activities at The Dukes. This new group is being hosted by The Dukes with support from Lancashire County Council’s Equality and Diversity Team.

Participants from Traveller Heritage are working with Sophie Hodgson, professional Hair and Makeup Artist and lecturer in Specialist and Media Makeup techniques. 

The Travellers work on The Box project is being supported by Lancaster Community Fund and Lancashire Health Visiting and School Nursing.

Lancaster City Council: Promoting City, Coast and Countryside, idcvs and Lancashire Health Visiting and School Nursing Logo
Traveller Heritage Group with Sophie Hodgson posing together as a group.
Members of the Traveller Heritage group and Sophie Hodgson sitting around a table with a wooden box.
Members of the Traveller Heritage group and Sophie Hodgson sitting on a bench or chair along the wall. On their right are two members from Rais and Animikki.

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RAIS Lancaster

RAIS Lancaster (Refugee, Advocacy, Information, and Support) is a volunteer-driven charity established in 2017, working as advocates providing a wide variety of support to asylum seekers, refugees, and their families in Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham and surrounding areas.

RAIS is working with theatre maker Adam Davies from Animikki Theatre on The Box. RAIS Lancaster’s engagement with The Box has been generously funded by Lancaster Integration Fund.

RAIS Lancaster, Animikii Theatre Company and Lancaster City Council: Promoting City, Coast and Countryside logos
Seven people sitting on chairs, placed behind one another. All of them have both their hands out.
A group of people, from RAIS, Animikki and Members from Unique Kidz, sitting side by side, against the wall.
RAIS and Adam standing around a table with a wooden box.

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Queer by Gum

Queer By Gum CIC is a queer / trans / artist - led grassroots arts organisation in the North West of England. They organise and facilitate workshops, projects and safer spaces where the local LGBTQ+ community in Lancaster and Morecambe can create, connect and organise.

Fusing together their own artistic practices and interests, Queer by Gum is working collaboratively with members through a variety of performance / visual forms.

Queer by Gum logo
Members of Queer by Gum sitting side-by-side listening to a group sitting across from them.
A close up of a Queer by Gum member reading a tag attached to an item from the wooden box in front of them. Two members are sitting across from them, looking inside the box.
Members of Queer by Gum sitting around the table. One member is holding the lid of the wooden box that is in front of them.

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Unique Kidz & Co. / 4ever Unique

4Ever Unique is delivered by Unique Kidz & Co. in Morecambe. The group supports young Disabled adults aged 18–30, offering a safe and welcoming space to build friendships and take part in meaningful activities.

Members take part in a varied activity programme including gym sessions, cook and eat, Network Wheels at Salt Ayre, travel training and swimming, alongside tailored sessions such as sensory stories, drama and dance. Members are also actively involved in shaping the service through the Young Adult Council. 

4Ever Unique is taking part in drama sessions with theatre practitioner Carly Henderson, Head of Creative Communities at The Dukes. 

Unique Kidz and Co Logo
Members of Unique Kidz and their leader sitting and standing together alongside Carly Henderson.
Members of Unique Kidz reading a tag they took out the wooden box in front of them.
A group sitting side-by-side against the wall, with one member sitting on the floor. They are all clapping while the leader from Unique Kidz is giving two thumbs up to a member of Unique Kidz group.

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