On 23 July 2004, strange happenings took place in Leigh Woods. Dragons roamed, animals talked, Iron Age people fought a battle on the ramparts of Stokeleigh Camp - and this was just the start of the ‘Trouble in the Trees’!
From May to July 2004, 26 young people took inspiration from Leigh Woods and devised a magical performance trail, based around the majestic old yew tree which stands within the parish wall. Their trail led audiences on an extraordinary journey through the woods, bringing the woods alive in a way never seen before.
In the words of Shaly Jones, one of the performers: “'Trouble in the Trees' was an amazing play to do as it was unlike anything else I’ve ever done. The woods were inspirational to us all and brought up all these wonderful ideas, along with some of the history of the woods. I met a lot of new friends through the play too, who I now see quite regularly. The costumes were really fun because walking around the woods dressed as a dragon is some thing I’ll probably never be able to do again! I’ll always remember that play because it was my absolute favourite one out of all the plays I’ve done and definitely the most magical." Shaly still comes back to the woods with friends she made through the project.
'Trouble in the Trees' was a partnership project between the National Trust, as part of its Untold Story initiative, and acta, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, working together to engage local people with their heritage and natural environment. To celebrate this fantastic creative arts project, we have produced a magnificent bench made from a yew tree from the woods. Come and see it and live part of the magic for yourself!
More case studies from the Bristol Community Involvement project:
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