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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.

  • At the British Library, we will explore canal collections, archives, maps, and stories from different cultures and communities.

  • 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.

  • Reflecting on inspirations and materials gathered during the walks

  • Co-defining themes and developing stories for the summer procession

  • 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.

  • Making masks, costumes, puppets, and procession props

  • Exploring reclaimed materials and sustainable creative practices

  • 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.

  • Wear masks and costumes, carry puppets and props, and move forward with music and performance

  • 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 

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©2026 by Canal Dream CIC

Registered Company: 14774828

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