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Mythstories museum began life situated along one of the Shuts of Shrewsbury. These narrow passageways, many dating from mediaeval times, are a distinctive feature of the town centre. They provide a web of alleys that for centuries has been used by pedestrians to move quickly through the town. |
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The Shuts have names to fire the imagination, "Phoenix Place" or "Grope Lane" for example. But where are the stories that lay behind the names? Mythstories museum set storyteller Amy Douglas the task of recreating them. |
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Amy was aided in her quest by local people. We wanted their memories and their knowledge of the history of the Shuts to form the basis of the stories. After all, there's more than a grain of truth in all folklore. |
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Some groups, like the Civic Society and the Visual Arts Network, brought their own expertise to the project. Others, like the After School Club, brought the unique perspective of their generation. All brought an enthusiasm and a willingness to let Amy focus their imagination on "their" Shut. |
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And all shared the joy of creating. In workshop sessions each group discovered just how a storyteller weaves a tale from a few facts, a few feelings and an insight into human nature. And 5,000 listeners experienced their own workshop live on BBC Radio Shropshire. |
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The culmination of the project was a series of storywalks through the Shuts and a static performance of all the stories at Shrewsbury Music Hall. Our thanks go to the Year of the Artist and to Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council for help funding the project, to Shrewsbury's residents for their ideas, and to Amy the storyteller for sharing her art. |
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