Canal Tales | Performing 2: Canal Tales Summer Procession

1 About the Activity

Join us for the Canal Tales Summer Procession, a celebration of creativity, community, nature, and heritage along Regent's Canal in King's Cross. 

Programme participants, artists, and local communities will wear masks and costumes, carry puppets and procession props, and move along the canalside with music and performance. Together, new tales come alive along the old canals.

Everyone is welcome to join the procession or watch from along the route.

As the final stage of the Canal Tales programme, this procession transforms months of walking, imagining, making, and collaboration into a joyful celebration along the waterways. 

Things to Know

• Location: Along Regent's Canal in King's Cross
• Meeting Point: The Last Word community hub (Piazza, The British Library)
• Route & Performance Information: Further details will be shared with registered participants and audiences closer to the event.
• Participant Commitment: We strongly encourage participants who have taken part in Canal Tales activities to join the final procession.
• Photography & Filming: Photos and videos will be taken during the event for evaluation, documentation, and promotional purposes. Please let us know if you prefer not to be included. 

2 About the Canal Tales Project

Canal Tales: Walking, Imagining, Making, Performing is a series of participatory community activities taking place across the British Library and along Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross and Camden.​

Connecting the British Library’s canal collections and resources with the living canal environment, the project invites diverse local communities to explore stories, memories, creativity, ecology, and everyday life connected to the waterways through sustainable creative activities.

The project is produced by Canal Dream CIC and led by Chuntian Hu. It is funded through the British Library’s Green Libraries Hubs Grant Scheme, supported by The National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund.

3 The Programme

Canal Tales unfolds through four connected stages, with multiple activities in each stage:

• Walking: Explore waterway collections at the British Library and the living environment of Regent's Canal.
• Imagining: Co-create new canal stories inspired by waterways, collections, and shared experiences.
• Making: Transform stories into creative artworks, objects, and performances using sustainable materials.
• Performing: Bring canal tales to life through a summer procession along Regent's Canal.

View the full programme and book activities here.

Participant Commitment: To help bring the procession to life, we encourage participants to create at least one procession piece (usually requiring one or two making sessions) and take part in the final procession.

4 Who We Welcome

​Canal Tales welcomes boaters, canal-side communities, emerging creatives, children and young people, local organisations and community groups, and anyone interested in waterways, creativity, sustainability, and cultural collections.

We particularly encourage participation from residents of Camden and neighbouring boroughs.

5. Space and Accessibility

Canal Tales activities take place across multiple locations, including the British Library, The Last Word community hub, and along Regent's Canal.

• British Library: Please visit the British Library Visit Us page for full accessibility information.
• The Last Word community hub: The space is accessible via ramp and has a hearing loop installed. While wheelchair access is possible, the space can be narrow in places.
• Regent's Canal Activities: Accessibility may vary depending on the location and route of individual activities. Further information will be provided for each session where relevant.

If you have specific access requirements, please contact [email protected] in advance so we can support you accordingly.