Our Freedom: Then & Now

July 2025

Our Freedom: Then & Now – celebrate our freedom today by helping LEVEL Centre uncover hidden secrets and stories from WWII in an exciting national project!

LEVEL Centre in Rowsley are excited to announce a powerful new community-led project as part of Future Arts Centres’ national campaign, Our Freedom: Then and Now. The initiative invites the local community to reflect on what freedom means today, 80 years after the end of the Second World War.

The project is one of 60 community-led commissions across the UK forming part of Our Freedom: Then and Now, a national programme supported by Arts Council England. The campaign commemorates the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ Day by inviting communities to reflect on the past and reimagine the future through creativity.

LEVEL Centre are focusing their project on ‘Secret Freedoms’. The Derbyshire Dales played a fascinating part in WWII. Did you know that Matlock was home to the School of Military Intelligence, and the Matlock Secret Army?! Inspired by this, the team at LEVEL want to hear your stories of secret freedoms and histories – perhaps you have a fantastic family story that isn’t in the history books? A secret place that holds something important for you? Or even a link to our local secret organisations?

As an arts charity who work with the disabled community, LEVEL will also be exploring the role that the disabled and learning disabled community played during and after WWII – stories which are often not documented publicly – and how the freedoms of disabled and learning disabled people are often secretive to this day.

LEVEL will celebrate the wealth and importance of these stories with an artistic project that will have a national stage, and a week-long celebration of Secret Freedoms in October. There are loads of ways you can be part of this fantastic project, including workshops in the community and at LEVEL Centre.
Most importantly you don’t have to see yourself as ‘creative’ to take part – this is all about bringing people together to share stories and learn from each other. For those who’d like a deeper connection to the project, LEVEL will be setting up a Secret Freedoms panel to help steer the direction of the artistic celebration and represent the wider community voice.

The first event – an open evening at LEVEL Centre where you can learn more about the project – is happening on Wednesday 16 July from 5pm to 7pm. Head along, share your stories and find out about joining the Secret Freedoms Panel. LEVEL Centre is located at Old Station Close, Rowsley, Derbyshire, DE4 2EL.

Dates for your diary – with more to follow:
Wednesday 16 July from 5pm-7:30pm
Join the team at LEVEL Centre to learn more about the project
Week commencing 27th October
Celebration week of Secret Freedoms project
Saturday 1st November
Project Secret Freedoms culmination celebration

The LEVEL Centre building is designed with access in mind with disabled parking bays and level access throughout. If you have any questions or need additional support, please contact the team on 01629 734848.