Corby's cultural diversity to be celebrated with ground-breaking project

As Corby changes and grows with people from many different cultures making the town their home, ‘Changing Corby’ is a new project by Deep Roots Tall Trees (DRTT).

Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund, Northamptonshire Community Foundation and Corby Council are supporting the ground-breaking project which will celebrate this diversity through song, dance and the arts.

It is a two-year project during which the DRTT choir and dance theatre will explore and document the cultural heritage of four different communities - Scottish, Latvian, Polish and Serbian - who have chosen to settle in the town.

‘Changing Corby’ will create new ways for the community to learn about Corby’s diverse cultural heritage as represented by each of these groups, with key representatives from each community passing on their musical and dance knowledge.

It is hoped that people will enjoy getting together to share in these fun experiences and help leave a well-documented legacy and archive for future generations.

Phase one of the project will be looking at the town’s Scottish heritage from January 2018 through to the end of June 2018.

DRTT’s choir and Scottish people in Corby will take part in workshops led by professional singers to learn Gaelic songs.

The DRTT dance theatre will also be developing their response to the Scottish cultural traditions.

This first cultural exploration is with the most established and first community to adopt Corby as its own – the Scottish community.

Corby used to be known as ‘Little Scotland’ and the Scottish are still a sizable minority in the town – 19 per cent in 2011.

Phases two, three and four will see them working with the Latvian, Serbian and Polish communities over the following 18 months.

Founded in 2012, DRTT is a Corby-based arts organization led by creative director Rosalind Stoddart, artistic director Barb Jungr, choir director Gareth Fuller and supported by Corby Community Arts.

The aim is to extend the relevance of music, singing and the arts to the widest possible local and regional audience.

For more details go to www.deeprootstalltrees.org.