Touring theatre company Eastern Angles are set to take over the former Suffolk Record Office building on Bramford Road, Ipswich, to create The Eastern Angles Centre – an arts and heritage hub, home to The Sir John Mills Theatre.

The new centre will have co-working and hotdesking areas, a digital studio, additional rehearsal and community rooms for workshops and meetings; all of which will be available to hire.

One of the focuses for the centre will be to engage with and provide space and activities for the local residents located in the streets close by. Artistic director Ivan Cutting said: “This may seem like a challenge in the current Covid climes but not to be defeated the team at Eastern Angles have come up with a plan: an exciting and dynamic outward facing window display featuring Local Legends, nominated by you.”

Supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Eastern Angles has commissioned Ipswich-based, Columbian-born, visual artist and illustrator Catalina Carvajal to lead the project, which opens for nominations this week.

Over the coming weeks Eastern Angles will be engaging with the community to hear about the hidden, unsung heroes and helpers, who keep the community thriving. This could be your local shopkeeper, the chap who collects litter along the river, the lady who tends to the local garden, the postie, your pet… heroes are found in all forms.

You can nominate your Legend online, on the phone or download a pack from the Eastern Angles website which will include activities to do at home to create a portrait of your local legend. Printed packs will be distributed to households in the streets neighbouring the theatre.

Your legend portraits will form part of a community display of artwork in the windows on Gatacre Road and Catalina will use these as inspiration for a vibrant externally facing window display on Bramford Road.

Catalina said: “I’m very excited to be involved with this project. I love projects that take art out of traditional spaces and into places where it might not usually be seen. In doing so, I think there’s a much better chance of reaching a wider audience and of getting the community involved in the production of the artwork.”

Eastern Angles thrives on storytelling and can’t wait to hear all the hidden stories from within the Ipswich community. Nominations open during the week of September 28 and the artwork will be on display later in the year. The company also hope to be able to host some half-term family art workshops led by Catalina.

Visit the Eastern Angles website to find out more and nominate your local legend.