A PROJECT has been launched which aims to reveal the stories of the women of St Helens.

The Heart of Glass is seeking women of all ages to uncover some of the characters, events and the secrets of the past that have formed the town we know today.

Called 'With the past in front of me I walk backwards into the future', the venture is led by producer Rachel Anderson.

It will include a series of free to attend events between February and April and activities such as readings by psychic mediums, story-telling and sessions by local historians and a family tree researcher.

Events will be held every fortnight from 5.30pm to 8.30pm at the Heart of Glass' base at the former Beecham’s Building, on Water Street.

Rachel, co-founder of art organisation Idle Women, said: “By uncovering the stories of the women of St Helens, we remember the things we’ve forgotten.

“All of us, whether we knew our parents or not have 16,384 ancestors if we go back just 14 generations. Some of these ancestors hold the key to the things we don’t understand in ourselves today.”

“We will start the journey with a series of genealogy workshops and from there we will explore other ways of unearth the secrets and characters that formed the streets we live in.”

The workshops form the beginning of a long term project with theatre maker Louise Lowe, commissioned by Heart of Glass and produced in collaboration with Idle Women.?

The project was launched on Monday (February 8) and the next session takes place on Monday 22.

Activities are free but space is limited so email suzanne@heartofglass.org.uk, call 01744 623290, visit The Heart of Glass Facebook page or tweet @theheartofglass to get involved.