Our Freedom: Then and Now
Lead Artist - Heidi Steller
Lead Producer - Rohan Gotobed
Assistant Producer - Rebecca Trent
Lead Facilitators - Dr. Aanka Batta, Tilly Ingram, Jo Malyon, Lorna Rees, and Antosh Wojcik
Assistant Facilitators - Jack Davis, Sam Doyle, Carmilla Williamson, and Annabel Worsfold
Community workshops delivered with local community groups and in partnership with BCP Libraries and Poole Museum
October / November 2025
Poole Lighthouse
Lighthouse worked with communities locally to reflect on what freedom means to them – in the context of the end of World War II and how it feels now.
This idea started back in May 2025 when Lighthouse worked with Poole Maritime Trust to bring to life the stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things during Dunkirk and the end of WWII. They looked at the importance of fishing boats to Poole and how they supported freedom at the end of WWII. When starting this project Lighthouse wanted to continue with the image of a fishing boat and bring the conversation to the wider community.
Over October they delivered 27 workshops across partners in Dorset and BCP. Participants have ranged in age from 7 to 90 and come from a variety of different backgrounds. All were asked to consider what freedom means to them. They wrote, created, and added to the structure of the boat, designed by Heidi Steller and turned into an exciting installation.