You Can Take It With You emerged from a collaboration between Lindsay Rodden, playwright, Martin Heslop, writer and musician, and Julia Heslop, visual artist. Originally commissioned for the Up The Wall festival of live art in Chester by the organisation Chester Performs, the project travelled to the Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool as part of the Everyword Festival of New Writing and then on to the Newbridge Project, Newcastle where the work was performed live as part of Situation Rhubarb's 'Borders Project'.

Inspired by border crossing stories from Albania to Northern Ireland and beyond the performance followed one man’s journey from his job on the docks, to a ship, to another country and into a new llife. Through music, spoken word and miniature worlds unfolding from suitcases, stories of the uprooted and dispersed were told through this promenade performace; tough stories that alter the man throughout the performance and guide him towards his own conclusion. The piece allowed the viewer/audience to question: what is the relationship to your homeland, the nature of journey, escape and migration? And which traces of the past follow you to your destination? The photos below show the live performance of the piece with an actor (David Raynor) in Newcastle.