Local youngsters have been dancing, singing and acting their way through memories of the Forest of Dean’s past as part of a creative project designed to bring generations together.
A group of children from Coleford have taken part in Roots & Reflections, a collaboration between Gloucestershire Libraries, Gloucestershire Archives and The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Their aim has been to transform the memories of older Foresters into a live stage performance.
The young performers debuted their production on Sunday, February 15, presenting a show inspired by stories ranging from post-war pannage and apple-picking to recollections of Raymond’s Shoes and memories of the destruction of the Severn railway bridge.
The children will perform again in May at The Roses as part of a larger county-wide production bringing together similar groups from across Gloucestershire.
Connecting generations through creativity
The project forms part of a wider effort to strengthen community connections by preserving local memories and encouraging young people to reinterpret them creatively.
Florrie Taylor of The Roses Theatre said the initiative began when Gloucestershire Libraries started recording the experiences of people born shortly after the Second World War.
“Roots & Reflections began life last year, when Gloucestershire Libraries started recording the memories of people born just after the Second World War,” she said. “We’re now in the phase of enabling young people to re-interpret these memories in creative ways. It’s a love letter to the local community.”
Memories collected in each of the programme’s six locations are selected by a local artist, with children then supported to turn the stories into performances.
In the Forest of Dean, the workshops have been led by Coleford-based circus skills specialist Rhys Williams, who worked with the group across five sessions leading up to their first performance. The children explored juggling, movement, singing and physical theatre as part of the creative process.
“We’re even doing hat-work and bottle-flipping,” Williams said. “It’s been great to see the kids engage with these stories of the past, and realise things have changed but also stayed the same.”
Stories of seasons and shared history
The memories recorded for the project will all be preserved in Gloucestershire Archives and reflect a wide range of experiences, many tied to the natural rhythms of Forest life. The performance itself follows the seasons, inspired by recurring themes in the stories gathered.
Scenes evoke free-roaming sheep in spring, fruit picking in summer and the tradition of giving nuts and oranges at Christmas, alongside memories of brass bands, local industry and the familiar smells of Ribena and Lucozade from the Beechams factory.
More personal recollections also feature, including one shared by participant Brenda Baker, who remembered an oak tree planted in Coleford by her husband’s aunt in the 1800s — a tree that still stands today.
Taylor said the project’s strength lies in its local roots. “It’s been great to go straight to the source, for both the memories and our shows,” she said. “We’ve asked local people to record their stories, and we’ve asked local children to set these to song and dance in local places — parish halls, scout huts, and so on.”
The programme will culminate in May when participants from across the county come together in Tewkesbury for a large-scale performance, with children taking over the theatre building to present new work alongside revived performances from earlier in the year.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for communities to come together, remember their shared past — and build a shared future,” Taylor added. “We’re excited to see everyone in May.”