Testimony, Truth and Memory in the Wake of Tragedy

In the wake of public tragedies like the Grenfell Tower Fire, formal routes to truth and accountability can be painfully slow. They are often shaped by institutional and legal constraints, rather than the needs of those most affected. Public inquiries may establish facts, but opportunities for meaningful testimony and community participation can be limited, while prosecutions and reform remain uncertain.

Using Grenfell as a central case study, this event will explore how creative and community-centred approaches to testimony and memory can open up alternative ways to be heard. Our panel will discuss Grenfell Testimony Week— a platform for bereaved families, survivors and residents to testify in the presence of those that many of them deemed responsible for the fire — and explore the power of verbatim theatre, alongside the role of the arts in memorialisation. They will consider how testimony can reach the wider public, preserve memory, and communicate the…