In 2023 we worked with punk poet Brigitte Aphrodite to host a week-long artist residency and series of performances in pubs and working mens clubs around S6, including the New Barrack Tavern in Hillsborough and the Gardener’s Rest, a community-owned pub in Neepsend.
Brigitte Aphrodite is a neurodivergent Greek-heritage punk poet, theatre-maker, musician, workshop leader and intersectional feminist show-woman from Kent. She spent a week meeting local people from our community, including hosting a writing workshop at Gathering Ground, meeting the volunteers at Wardsend Cemetery, and performing to members of the Trinity Lunch Club.
With local people, she gathered stories about local legends from Hillsborough and Sheffield, both modern and historical, and incorporated them into the show. Members of the community also submitted their own stories and poetry, and some performed them during the shows.
The show is a welcoming, captivating, communal experience; a conversation starter, a hilarious, raucous night out – while breaking the silences of forgotten stories around the South East.
The show featured original songs by Brigitte Aphrodite and live music and composition by acclaimed artist Quiet Boy. It riotously explored sung and unsung heroes, featuring Poly Styrene, Aphra Behn, David Bowie and many more. All the Sheffield legends were incorporated onto Brigitte’s beautifully illustrated dress, and became part of the fabric and conversation of future performances as it toured around the country.
