Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Cllr Christine Bannon, attended a special performance of ‘Dare to Dream’ by Collective Encounters, a creative project bringing local community stories to life and exploring how lived experiences can help shape a healthier future.
The performance at Centre 63 in Kirkby was developed through work led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine’s ReCITE project and showcased powerful stories from local people, demonstrating how creativity, storytelling and community engagement can play an important role in tackling health inequalities and improving wellbeing.
The performance was linked with work that Knowsley Council and other partners have done over the past two years with ReCITE, which builds storytelling into community and health systems to address mistrust and promote wellbeing.
Following the performance, Cllr Bannon met members of the cast and creative team to hear more about the project and discuss the importance of involving residents in conversations about health and public services.
Speaking after the event, Cllr Bannon said: “It was inspiring to see how Dare to Dream has brought together community voices in such a powerful and engaging way. The stories shared on stage highlighted the real experiences of local people and demonstrated how listening to those voices can help us build healthier, more resilient communities. It was a pleasure to meet the cast and thank them for their contribution to this important work.”
The project forms part of wider efforts to use storytelling and community-led approaches to address health inequalities, build trust and encourage greater engagement with health services across communities. Researchers and partners are working with people with lived experience to develop creative ways of improving health outcomes and ensuring community voices are at the heart of decision-making.
The event provided an opportunity for local leaders, health professionals and community partners to reflect on how creative engagement can help drive positive change and support a healthier future for residents across the Liverpool City Region.