The Performance Ensemble

Engaging communities through storytelling and lived experiences

Based in Leeds, The Performance Ensemble is a theatre company with a powerful sense of purpose. Bringing together people over 60 from a mixture of backgrounds, it creates space for voices that are too often overlooked. The work they produce is human and shaped by lived experience, and is driven by a desire to connect, express and be heard.

1001 Stories: Radical Acts of Being Human draws inspiration from the enduring tale of One Thousand and One Nights. Like Scheherazade, who told stories night after night to survive, this project centres on storytelling as an act of resilience.

The experience itself unfolds across two interconnected parts –exhibition and archive. Spatial design and immersive storytelling come together to create a journey that feels both intimate and expansive, drawing visitors in while honouring the individuality of each contribution. Alongside this, a digital archive extends the life of the project, thoughtfully designed and built to ensure these stories remain accessible, living and evolving over time.

The result is a layered, deeply engaging experience, one that celebrates storytelling as a radical, human act. It’s a project that doesn’t just share stories, but amplifies them, connecting people through empathy, understanding and the shared act of being heard.