What does freedom mean to us today?
Across Eastleigh, this project opened up conversations between people of different ages and experiences, all exploring what freedom means in 2026.
Our Freedom: Then and Now is a nationwide project led by Future Arts Centres, connecting more than 60 arts centres, theatres and libraries across the UK. Here at The Point Eastleigh, we explored the theme through a series of drama and visual arts workshops with our community.
We began with Year 6 pupils at Norwood School, exploring ideas of freedom through drama and discussion, responses ranged from having time to play outside, to wider questions around choice, fairness and the future.
From there, we worked with residents at Fleming House Residential Care Home before bringing both groups together for intergenerational workshops. These sessions created space for ideas to be shared, explored and built upon together.
What stood out most was how naturally connections formed across generations. Some moments were playful and light, others more reflective, but all carried real meaning for those involved.
For some, freedom meant independence and choice. For others, it meant safety, belonging or having a voice. Older participants shared memories from different times in their lives, while younger people spoke about their present experiences and hopes for the future.
We also held a series of community drop in workshops, bringing together people with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. These added further depth and richness to the conversation.
Rather than a single definition, a more layered picture emerged, shaped by many different experiences and viewpoints.
Working with Alisa Ruzavina, these conversations were developed into a series of textile banners. Each one brings together words, ideas and imagery gathered throughout the project. These artworks were then shared in a celebratory parade through the building, inviting the Eastleigh community to come together, listen to the voices involved and reflect.
Our Youth Theatre also created a spectacular outdoor performance responding to the theme of freedom, sharing their voices alongside the wider community in a shared creative moment.
In 2026, freedom remains a complex and evolving idea, personal, shared and constantly shifting.
While the performances and artworks form the visible outcome, the impact of the project lives on in the conversations it sparked, the connections it strengthened and the experience of coming together to create something shared.
Further information about the Our Freedom: Then and Now project can be found at: https://ourfreedom.org.uk/