Reimagining a disappearing space through local creativity

There was something missing in Ockendon. Their traditional market. Like many UK towns, it was a familiar story and residents had watched it shrink over the years, leaving the high street feeling a lot emptier and less alive. However, what began as a negative talking point became a space for imagination and possibility.

Teatro Vivo is a professional theatre company that co-creates work with communities. They applied to our research and development call-out in 2023 and after being selected by our Kick Starter resident panel, they were later commissioned to work with residents in South Ockendon to understand what local people wanted to see in their area. During interviews and workshops, residents continually lamented about what they didn’t have and the disappearing market kept coming up in conversation. This feedback became the basis of their production. Whilst it was a contentious issue and politically sensitive, Start Thurrock recognised it was important that residents’ voices were heard, even if it meant exploring what could be perceived as a negative story, in order to maintain authenticity and the trust we’d built together. We stood solidly from the perspective that the focus of the show was on a local issue and had come from local people. Changing it would have been detrimental to the people and process.

And so ‘The Mystery of the Missing Market’ was born. During the autumn of 2024, Teatro Vivo delivered six taster workshops at Harris Academy, Belhus Park Cubs & Scouts groups and Sure Start Family Hub with 97 people taking part. The activities helped form the content for the scenes, dances, and songs in the show. People were welcomed and felt able to engage on their own terms, for example, one participant attended a rehearsal with her baby and she felt comfortable and confident to join in. The community appreciated the opportunity to lead their own creative contributions without feeling controlled or directed. Through participation and having their voice heard, it was evident that confidence had been built and personal pride had been created throughout the whole process.

In the October, a dress rehearsal took place with a small audience of Kick-Starter residents and a peer reviewer. We then held four shows and audiences booked tickets via Eventbrite, although people were able to join the audience whilst the show was taking place. The 1.5 hour production transformed the high street into a theatrical playground –– with an immersive promenade, the show moved around Derwent Shopping Parade and entered different buildings and shops, from the barber to the library, with everyone getting involved. Six professional actors took the lead roles and the residents were part of the ensemble. Choreographer, Temujin Gill, renowned for choreographing the NHS section of the Olympic opening ceremony, also performed in the movement sequences.

Audiences were split into groups and went on five different journeys, meeting characters such as a councillor, a postman, and a librarian along the way, and piecing together clues to solve the mystery. The performance ended with an uplifting and hopeful song about the possibilities that still existed in the space.

Whilst it was playful and silly, the wider community was excited and energised and pleased something was happening on their doorstep. Many watched the start of the show from their balconies above the high street, with one family progressing to come down to street level for the final show. It created a real buzz and it really felt like the production took over the town. Out of 311 audience members, 93% rated the experience as ‘very good’.

The Mystery of the Missing Market showed how co-creation, imagination, and community voice can turn a local loss into a celebration of creativity, connection, and hope. It shows that when communities are genuinely involved, the work reflects them, resonates with them, and crucially, inspires them.

To read more about our work with Teatro Vivo, The Myths of the Marshes, click here.