Pram People
Created by Polyglot Theatre, presented by Creative Barking and Dagenham and Global Streets
Pram People, came to Barking in August 2024, the interactive performance by Polyglot Theatre from Australia invited local families to take part in an interactive work in Town Hall Square, Barking over two days.
This moving and colourful performance transformed the everyday act of pushing a pram into a choreographed performance with local residents and their children.
Following movement prompts from headphones the adults wore and reading secret messages, the decorated pushchairs moved around the space to a while listening to stories about being a parent, about love and about the challenges life can throw at you when you have a family.
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Jimmy Lee
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Franck Allais
Image by Jimmy Lee
Image by Jimmy Lee
Image by Jimmy Lee
Image by Jimmy Lee
It was about finding joy in the everyday and encouraging families to take a moment to play, to laugh, and appreciate one-another.
Local residents told their stories of being a parent in audio recordings that were used as part of Pram People’s UK tour with Global Streets. The array of stories were sometimes funny, sometimes moving and always told with love at their core.
Passers-by stopped in the tracks to watch the colourful prams and buggies weave around each other in the square, while performers from the Polyglot Theatre cartwheeled, danced and created playful moments which drew laughter from both children and adults alike.
The event brought people together in a fun, light-hearted, creative way - but at it’s heart is a message of understanding the role of being a parent and the relationships with their children.
