Fall in love with our high street all over again

Trade Secrets is a project which involves retailers, the public and artists with the main goal of sharing secret histories , stories, traditions connected with the local high street. A Big Telly spokesperson told The Coleraine Times this week: “Through stories, memories and even infamous rumours we want to know what you associate when you look at your local shops. “Tell us your favourite memories and be our muse. After all sharing is caring and Big Telly wants to know what you got up to.” Trade Secrets explores the memories and experiences associated with Coleraine Town Centre, Portrush Main Street and Portstewart Promenade. These memoriesand experiences will then be used to create 30 miniature models/installations which will form an exhibition for schools, a unique trail for visitors/residents, an outreach programme for older people, a collection of memory story cards and a digital archive. To conclude the project Big Telly Theatre Company plans to exhibit thirty boxes in the local shops throughout Portstewart, Portrush and Coleraine telling the secrets and hidden stories associated with the new premises. These will be boxes which can contain miniature scale models, art work, sounds, images etc. Anyone interested in the project can pop into one of these local shops to find out more: Dixons, Moores, Whoosh, S&T Moore, Hope& Gloria, Romaya, Forum, Waterstones, Smyths Outdoors, Bob N Berts, Community Rescue, McAtamneys, The White House, Ramada, Souvenir Shop, Koko, Arcadia, Morellis, Roughans, Warkes Deli ,PortstewART Gallery, Sheilas, Mclaughlins, Shenanigans and Heart and Home. Neville Moore, Managing Director of Ulster Stores ,which owns Moores of Coleraine said: “We are delighted to be taking part in the Trade Secrets Project. “This project coincides with Moore’s 90th year anniversary which we are celebrating with a year-long series of events to mark the stores special place within the town. “Our staff and customers have already started sharing their memories about the town in the trade secrets book which is located in Moores. “From shops remembered, to more personal memoirs of people to reminiscences of visiting the store as children, they are a pleasure to read and we encourage everyone to come in and take part.” Big Telly’s theatre company formed in 1987 and is based at an office in the Promenade, Portstewart. The company designs and delivers theatre productions, interactive workshop programmes and community creativity projects, which it mainly tours throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland but also internationally. Their performance work concentrates on the visual potential of theatre through fusion with other art forms such as dance, music, circus, magic and film to create a unique sense of spectacle. Big Telly’s outreach work uses theatre skills within educational and community contexts in order to engage and empower a wide range of participants. Big Telly is funded by Arts Council NI and receives in-kind funding from Coleraine Borough Council.