We're looking for your stories of working in Ipswich!

Telling stories with a sense of place has always been at the heart of our work and their newest project, The Work Furnace, will focus on their hometown of Ipswich. 

Sometimes thought of as the Glasgow of East Anglia, Ipswich is home to a rich industrial history that has impacted generations of people who have lived there. The Work Furnace will unearth the stories of the people who worked inside the factories that powered this waterfront town.  

Speaking about the project, our new Project Officer Hannah said: “I am really looking forward to seeing how this project takes shape. The nature of Ipswich’s industry changed hugely in the latter half of the 20th century. We want to capture the stories of a time when the town stood at the centre of manufacturing - so, whether you grew up listening to the stories of a parent that apprenticed at Reavells in the 1950s, or you fed bread tins through the conveyor oven at Tooks Bakery in the 1960s, or perhaps stitched garments at William Pretty’s in the 1970s, this is a great opportunity to reminisce." 

Part of a nationwide Historic England scheme to uncover the working class histories hidden across the country, The Work Furnace will bring to life the stories of the men and women who kept the town’s industries of baking, manufacturing, agricultural machinery and ironworks alive in the post-war years. 

The histories will come together in several forms – there’ll be an audio heritage trail throughout the town, an exhibition and a street procession complete with puppets, props and stilt walking. But we need your help to make it happen

Hear from Hannah about the project...

Can you add your story to The Work Furnace?

• Follow us on facebook.com/EasternAnglesTheatreCompany and join our group "The Work Furnace - Memories of Ipswich's Industries" to join the online conversation
• Email Hannah at hannah@easternangles.co.uk 
• Phone Hannah / the Eastern Angles team on 01473 218202 (please note Hannah will be in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays)

The Work Furnace has been made possible thanks to funding from Historic England’s Everyday Heritage Grants.