The history of the River Aire will be brought to life with a promenade theatre journey through Shipley and Saltaire .

The new three-part production, called Multi-Story Water, will tell the story of the waterways, and the people who lived and worked on them, and the changes in surrounding areas.

Described as “mobile storytelling”, the production draws on the stories, memories and reflections of people living close to the Aire.

The River Aire has many stories to tell, as it flows through the Shipley area, running past 1950s housing estates and shiny new apartment blocks, a World Heritage Site and derelict industrial sites. It runs parallel with the Leeds-Liverpool canal and intersects with the Bradford Beck. Residents here remember flood crises and mill closures, but also have tales of improving water quality and growing wildlife diversity. Perspectives of the agencies responsible for the waterways have also been sought and, along with local people’s stories, have served as raw material for three, inter-locking tours of the area.

Audiences can choose between a musical boat ride on the canal, and two guided walks along the Aire in Saltaire and Shipley.

Participants can take a step back in time with a barge journey on the canal, starting from Hirst Lock, travelling past Salts Mill, and over Bradford Beck, or meet on the canal towpath opposite Shipley Wharf, and weave their way through the post-industrial landscape of Shipley, recalling mill closures, bank crashes, flood mayhem and bank crashes.

The production is directed by Simon Brewis, associate director with Red Ladder Theatre Company, and features Yorkshire-based actors David Smith, Lynsey Jones and Richard Galloway. Musician and songwriter Eddie Lawler also performs.

Stephen Bottoms, Professor of Contemporary Theatre and Performance at Manchester University, who is leading the project, said: "Site-specific theatre practice has acquired increasing recognition in recent years. With Multi-Story Water, we’re trying to look at the way Shipley’s waterways connect people up in an area that can appear quite disconnected, socially. And people in the area, we’ve found, have a lot to say about this!”

Multi-Story Water will be performed on September 21, 22 and 23. Performances are free, but booking is required on 07722 248604. For more information, visit multi-story-shipley.co.uk.