
Canal Tales:
Walking, Imagining, Making, Performing
Overview
Canal Tales: Walking, Imagining, Making, Performing is a series of participatory community activities taking place across the British Library and along Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross and Camden.
Connecting the British Library’s canal collections and resources with the living canal environment, the project invites diverse local communities to explore stories, memories, creativity, ecology, and everyday life connected to the waterways through sustainable creative activities.
The project is produced by Canal Dream CIC and led by Chuntian Hu. It is funded through the British Library’s Green Libraries Hubs Grant Scheme, supported by The National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund, and developed with support from the British Library’s Community Engagement Team, librarians, curators, and staff
Time
July– September 2026
Location
British Library
The Last Word community hub
Along Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross and Camden
Who We Welcome
Canal Tales welcomes boaters, canal-side communities, emerging creatives, children and young people, local organisations and community groups, and anyone interested in waterways, creativity, sustainability, and cultural collections.
The Journey
Stage 1 - Walking
Join us for guided explorations across the British Library and Regent’s Canal.
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At the British Library, we will explore canal collections, archives, maps, and stories from different cultures and communities.
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Along Regent’s Canal, we will explore local histories, canal heritage, communities, nature, and lived experience.
Together, we walk and wonder along waterways, across time and place, connecting memories and possibilities.
Stage 2 - Imagining
Come together at The Last Word Hub to co-create new canal stories.
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Reflecting on inspirations and materials gathered during the walks
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Co-defining themes and developing stories for the summer procession
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Brainstorming characters, scenes, and playful elements together
Together, we imagine and create contemporary canal tales shaped by collective creativity.
Stage 3 - Making
Join us at The Last Word Hub to bring canal tales into playful material forms together, guided by emerging creatives.
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Making masks, costumes, puppets, and procession props
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Exploring reclaimed materials and sustainable creative practices
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Developing visual, performative, and musical elements for the summer procession
Together, our stories take shape as colourful objects, characters, sounds, performances, and shared expressions moving along the waterways.
Stage 4 - Performing
Be part of our public summer procession along Regent’s Canal.
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Wear masks and costumes, carry puppets and props, and move forward with music and performance
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Animating the canal as a shared space for connection and imagination
Together, new tales come alive along the old canals.
Programme
* Dates and times are currently provisional and may be updated.
Approach
Rooted in place-based research, socially engaged practice, site-specific art, sustainable creative practice, more-than-human approaches, and design thinking.
Aims
Waterways - Local Context
Reconnecting communities with the histories, ecologies, and everyday life of Camden’s waterways.
Waterways — Global Context
Exploring how waterways connect cultures, memories, and stories across time and place.
Creative Sustainability
Making sustainability creative, practical, and part of everyday life.
Inclusive Participation
Creating accessible opportunities for diverse communities to engage with waterways, culture, and environmental action.
Be Part of Canal Tales
We are looking for participants, emerging artists, collaborators, and others interested in the project.
We are also bringing together a small creative and research group to help shape the project as it develops.
If you would like to take part, please send a short introduction about yourself, your interests, and your practice to:
Chuntian Hu: chuntian.hu@canaldream.org
People & Partners
Produced By
Canal Dream CIC
Producer & Creative Lead
Chuntian Hu
Funding
British Library’s Green Libraries Hubs Grant Scheme
Supported by The National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund
Supported By
British Library Community Engagement Team
British Library librarians, curators, and staff
Collaborators
To be announced





