OUR STORY
Hackney Shed started as an entirely volunteer run organisation in 2001. We became a Charity in 2010 and are now operating as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
We began in direct response to Chickenshed putting a callout to the community for more organisations to offer inclusive and accessible theatre workshops. Hackney Shed is one of many Sheds around the country, all of whom have their own focus and approach to working with their community.
We are very proud of Hackney Shed’s History and are launching a new project, Shedlight: Young Voices Shining a Light on 25 Years of Inclusive Practice. This project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and looks at the first 25 years of Hackney Shed within the wider context of inclusive youth provision in the borough.
Hackney Shed Awarded Grant From The National Lottery Heritage Fund for 25th Anniversary Project
We are delighted to announce that Hackney Shed has secured funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for an exciting two-year project celebrating our 25th anniversary. Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage.
Shedlight: Young Voices Shining a Light on 25 Years of Inclusive History
Shedlight is a youth-led heritage project exploring 25 years of Hackney Shed alongside the wider story of inclusive youth work in Hackney.
Through archival research, oral histories and creative storytelling, the project will uncover the people, organisations and experiences that have shaped inclusive opportunities for young people across the borough. It will explore how inclusive practice has evolved, why this work matters, and the impact it has had on young people, families and communities.
The stories will form a digital timeline, hosted on the Hackney Shed website, creating a lasting archive of inclusive youth provision in Hackney. Working with Hackney Archives, we will also create a public exhibition sharing our discoveries with the wider community.
Young People Leading the Way
Young people are at the centre of everything we do at Hackney Shed, and our new group of Young Archivists will lead this project.
Together, they will explore our archives, interview people connected to Hackney Shed and inclusive youth work in Hackney, collect oral histories, and decide how these stories should be shared. They will develop skills in research, storytelling and archiving while creating a record of the history they are part of. Click here to find out more and join our Young Archivists
In the second year, our groups will use these discoveries as inspiration for new creative theatre projects, bringing our shared heritage to life through various performances we can share with our community.
Celebrating Inclusive History in Hackney
Since 2001, Hackney Shed has brought Disabled and non-disabled young people together through inclusive theatre, creating opportunities for thousands of young people to build confidence, express themselves and create together. But this story is part of something bigger. Hackney has a rich history of community-led arts and inclusive youth work, with organisations across the borough creating spaces where young people can belong, participate and have their voices heard. Shedlight will celebrate this shared heritage, documenting how inclusive practice has transformed lives and communities while ensuring the voices of Disabled young people are recognised within Hackney’s history. Much of this work has never been formally recorded, and important stories risk being lost. This project will preserve them for future generations through a publicly accessible digital archive and exhibition.
Help Us Tell the Story
Were you part of Hackney Shed over the last 25 years? Did you take part in a project, volunteer, work with us, or support inclusive youth work in Hackney? We would love to hear your stories, memories, photographs or films. Get in touch with louise@hackneyshed.org.uk and your contribution could become part of this important archive.
Thank You
This project would not be possible without the generous support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund. A huge Hackney Shed thank you goes to National Lottery players for helping us preserve our shared heritage, celebrate young people’s voices and shine a light on 25 years of creativity, inclusion and community in Hackney.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Hackney Shed’s History: A timeline
We will be building an online digital timeline and collecting Oral Histories from our community to celebrate the heritage of Hackney Shed and other inclusive youth provision in Hackney. This page will be updated throughout the year as the project progresses.
