Saturday Heritage Fairs: A New Way To Get Communities Talking

By John Coster: Saturday Heritage Fairs provide a meeting point for individuals and community groups in the early stages of developing a heritage collection and those looking to grow an existing collection; to display what they have, seek feedback, find volunteers and people able to support them develop their heritage collection. It’s become obvious to me …

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Reportage Club: Marta Szczesniak

On Wednesday 8th May 2024, the Parallel Lives Network hosted a Reportage Club event with documentary photographer, Marta Szczesniak @martaszczesniak_photography John Coster, Founder of the Parallel Lives Network was in-conversation with Marta about her photography and a recent trip to Thailand where she captured images of the street children. Venue: Orso Coffee Shop

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Documentary Screening: Ukraine 2024 & Spain 1936

On Tuesday 16th April, The Parallel Lives Network and Documentary Media Centre showcased, in conjunction with the DMU Media Discourse Centre, the FREE screening of two documentary films with Q&As, as follows: 18:00 ‘When We Come Back’ – on the War in Ukraine and the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Leicester, UK (38 mins). 19:00 ‘Herencias de ‘36’ (The …

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Mental Health Train the Trainer Workshop

The Mental Health Train the Trainer workshop was designed by Tina Barton, Director of Education & Engagement of the Parallel Lives Network, to ignite discussion, help to build awareness and contribute to normalising the conversation in a range of settings around Mental Health & Well-being. This training provides several creative communication tools and activities, that …

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Book Launch: Cold Coffee in Asmara

By John Coster The last 12 months have seen many developments at the Documentary Media Centre that hosts the Parallel Lives Network. We’ve started a Series of heritage events called Saturday Heritage Fairs and we’ve integrated the Parallel Lives Network into them by hosting international-focused heritage projects based locally in Leicester. This has seen our …

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Day 16 #16DaysOfActivism 2023

It’s the final day of #16DaysOfActivism for 2023. What better day to end it ….10th December….the annual Human Rights Day. Somehow, this Human Rights Day seems more poignant. More global conflict than we’ve witnessed in a long time, including an ongoing war in Europe, and ‘Genocide’ now a word, thrown around in the mainstream media, …

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Day 15 #16DaysOfActivism 2023

Join us for #16DaysOfActivism from across the Parallel Lives Network. I’ll be interviewing network members about their particular take on activism and what it means to their cause. The programme runs from Saturday 25th November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – through to Human Rights Day on Sunday 10th December. For Day …

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Day 14 #16DaysOfActivism 2023

Join us for #16DaysOfActivism from across the Parallel Lives Network. I’ll be interviewing network members about their particular take on activism and what it means to their cause. The programme runs from Saturday 25th November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – through to Human Rights Day on Sunday 10th December. For Day 14 …

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