A radio play, Into the Archive, made by Adrian Newton with WCT members, explores WCT's archive of material from over 30 years of community theatre productions. Adrian Newton writes: The...
WCT begins a new theatre production on the theme of HOME
Is Home where the heart is? Is there no place like it? What does home feel like? Where is it, in your heart or under your roof? ...
Take a short HOME survey about what makes YOU feel at home.
As part of the creative process for developing our next community theatre project on the theme of Home, we would like to hear your ideas. And about the special things...
Skittles Evening on Wednesday November 6th at 7.30 pm
You don't have to be an expert skittler - just come and join the Skittles Challenge at Colehill Sports and Social Club, 108 Wimborne Road, Colehill, Wimborne BH21 2QR Only...
Opening of the Wimborne Green Festival on Saturday 12th October
On Saturday 12th October we were out on the Minster Green to perform a short piece on RIVERS after the Planet Wimborne Green Festival was officially opened by Vicki Slade...
Barn Dance on Friday 11th October – a storming success!
The Barn Dance on October 11th was a great success with over 100 people enjoying the dancing and live music from the Black Sheep Band in Holt Village Hall. Close...
Come to our HOME Coffee Morning: Saturday, October 5 at Wimborne Methodist Church Hall: 11-12.30 pm
Whether you are a new resident or a long-term resident, we'd love to hear your ideas about what 'Home' means to you, living in the Wimborne area. Come for a...
Wimborne Town Trail on Friday 12th July
On Friday 12th July WCT is holding a fundraising event - another intriguing Treasure Trail around the streets of Wimborne. Start Point: King Street Car Park, BH21 1EA any time...
WCT Performances around Wimborne on D-Day Thursday 6th June
To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day on Thursday 6th June, WCT performed "Let 'em Have It", a short piece of theatre telling a local story. The performance was repeated...
Voices of Freedom Concert with Palida Choir
WCT members were invited to weave poetry and key texts between songs by Palida, at Karen Wimhurst's recent Voices of Freedom concert of new music. Cellist, Emily Burridge, performed her...
Fundraising Quiz Night
The Quiz Night was very well attended with over 60 members and supporters. Everyone enjoyed the evening's fun and the delicious ploughman's supper and we raised nearly £400 to support...
Almost Forgotten – Film
Watch a short video of WCT's ten-minute production, Almost Forgotten, part of Glow Badbury, a large-scale arts project on Badbury Rings in October 2023, produced by Emerald Ant, working with...
SKITTLES NIGHT on Thursday 16th November
Lots of fun and games were to be had at the recent Skittles Evening at the Colehill Sports and Social Club. Over £150 was raised for WCT funds. Adrian Williams...
WCT: A Radio Play – next meeting on March 6 at 7.30 pm
Next Workshop on March 6 at 7.30 - 9 pm Sound artist, Adrian Newton, will lead the latest workshop on ways of collaging sounds from WCT's archive to make a...
We’ve gone live! WCT’s Upgraded Website
WCT's archival website, preserving the group's cultural heritage created over 30 years, was made possible with funding from Heritage Lottery. With recent funding gratefully received from Valentine Charitable Trust ,...
Almost Forgotten – The story of the Clubmen
As part of the Glow Badbury Project, Wimborne Community Theatre and Millstream Theatre performed ‘Almost Forgotten, the Story of the Clubmen’ inspired by the gathering of 4000 Clubmen on Badbury...
The Remembered Earth
Read an article 'The Remembered Earth' by Gill Horitz, published in National Drama, summer 2023 - which examines the impact on audience and actors of making theatre in the local...
Almost Forgotten – The Team
WCT Actors: Izzy Adamson, Stewart Bullen, Sue Bullen, Will Dowland, Barbara Hart, Jeff Hart, Anna Hillman, Gill Horitz, Tony Horitz, Tuppy Hill, Heather Lowe, Jackie May, Lauren Mooney, Clare Small,...
Ways of Seeing
Ways of Seeing, Wimborne Community Theatre's latest production, was performed to full houses at the Museum of East Dorset on March 10th and 11th. The audience was taken on a...
Glow Badbury Reunion
Everyone involved in the performances of WCT's production of 'Almost Forgotten' on Badbury Rings, enjoyed tea and cakes, and a video of the event, at a reunion in February.
Victorian Valentine Cards
In the Victorian era, and into the 20th century, lovers exchanged elaborate lace-trimmed cards on Valentine's Day, expressing their undying love and devotion with sentiments and poems. For those not...
Fresco Painting
Roman fresco paintings were made using the Fresco technique which is a painting technique involving the application of pigment to wet plaster and the subsequent drying of the image. An...
Timeless Stream
Timeless Stream was the first part of WCT's project: Our Rivers Run Through Us, based on over two-year’s research and the development of ideas by WCT members relating to a...
“Ways of Seeing” on March 10 and 11 at the Museum of East Dorset
Friday, March 10 at 7.30 pm Saturday, March 11 at 2.30 pm & 7.30 pm What do you see when you enter a museum? But what don’t you see and...
Our Next Production at the Museum of East Dorset
We are now working on our next production - the much delayed celebration of the re-opening of the Museum following its refurbishment. We will be leading the audience in an...
Skittles Evening
The Skittles Evening on November 9th at the Colehill Sports and Social Club was a big success. A fun evening was had by all and we raised very nearly £300...
WCT at Wimborne Green Festival on 15 October
Thank you very much to Wimborne Green Festival for inviting us to perform at the opening of the festival on October 15th. We'll be bringing along the Otter, the Caddisfly,...
Annual Skittles Evening
It's back ! Our next fundraising event is Wimborne Community Theatre's famous Skittles Evening returning after a break on Wednesday 9 November 2022 The venue: Colehill Sports & Social Club, 108...
Secrets of the Stour
Secrets of the Stour - Part 2 of Our Rivers Run Through Us project - July 6-9 2022, was a site-specific community theatre production in a hidden part of Wimborne,...
Canford River Trail on September 2nd
The Canford River Trail on Friday 2nd September was not only a success but a very enjoyable way to spend a lovely evening by the river. We raised over £100...
SECRETS OF THE STOUR SOLD OUT
Good news for Wimborne Community Theatre but perhaps not for anyone who was still hoping to come and see it - WE ARE SOLD OUT for all three remaining performances....
Access for all to The Secrets of the Stour
To help with access, an audio version of the flier for Secrets of the Stour is available. Read by Tam Gilbert Wimborne Community · Front Of Flyer - Audio Version...
Jubilee Puppets
On Saturday 4th June, as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, Iris, Queen of the Stour, and some of her acolytes, the Otter, the Caddisfly, the Water Crowfoot and...
“Secrets of the Stour” – 6, 7, 8 and 9 July
Secrets of the Stour A site-specific production in a hidden part of Wimborne Get your tickets HERE Journey from Julian’s Bridge across the meadows beside the river Stour as we...
Rehearsals – future dates and venues
Joe Hancock, guest Artistic Director of WCT's next show, spent the day with the group on Saturday March 5th. Apart from explaining the role of the audience in his company...
Did You Know?
Did you know that the Eight Arches Brewery in Wimborne is named after the eight arches of Julian's Bridge? Julian's Bridge is the starting point for WCT's exciting new Rivers...
Acrostic River Poems compiled by visitors to the exhibition “Undercurrents”
Visitors to the exhibition Undercurrents were invited to add a line to an acrostic poem using the letters of the word RIVER. The exhibition in October 2021 was held...
Timeless Stream – Watch the video
In October, Wimborne Community Theatre staged, Timeless Stream, a short piece about the ecology of the river Allen, part of a week of events to celebrate the beauty and diversity...
Undercurrents – a multi-media exhibition
Undercurrents: A Multimedia Installation celebrating the River Allen River sounds, stories, poems and memories about the River Allen contributed and performed by students from Allenbourn Middle School and other local...
Millstream Theatre’s Music Video: Relaxing by the River – RESPECT
Millstream often works in partnership with WCT, most recently in our production about the River Allen. Their inspirational music video includes scenes from the banks of the Allen, poems and...
Making an Animation
The Poet Fish of the River Allen Hannah Small recounts the making of her animation during Lockdown, involving three generations of family creativity - Clare, Hannah and Eva Small. The...
Wishes for the River Allen
Our Wishes for the River Allen in Wimborne Collected from the Audience of Timeless Stream At the end of each performance of Timeless Stream, the audience was invited to write...
Wimborne Community Theatre’s Quiz Night
Wimborne Community Theatre's fun Quiz Night was back with a bang at Colehill Sports and Social Club on Wednesday 10th November. There were lots of fun and games as well...
Why The Miller’s Thumb? An alternative name for the Bullhead Fish
David Evans, a member of Wimborne Community Theatre, has been researching into why the Bullhead Fish, which lives in the River Allen, is sometimes known as The Miller's Thumb. The...
Timeless Stream – theatre event on the banks of the Allen
Timeless Stream - A short live celebration of the River Allen for World Rivers Day Wimborne Community Theatre presents an original performance on the river bank at Walford Mill. Come and...
Family Creative Willow Workshops
Willow Workshops: Saturday, October 16, 10 am – 4 pm ( 3 sessions at 10 – 12; 12 – 2; 2-4. Sessions 90 mins approx. or stay longer) at Walford...
Our Rivers Run Through Us – watery events at Walford Mill
A week of events celebrating the River Allen at Walford Mill October 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 from 10 am to 4 pm (Walford Mill closed Monday 18 &...
30 Years of Wimborne Community Theatre
The story and atmosphere of a place have been at the heart of the many original performances developed by local group Wimborne Community Theatre (WCT) which celebrates thirty years of...
Grant awarded for River Project
Wimborne Community Theatre has been awarded a Dorset Performing Arts Grant from Dorset Community Foundation to develop a new outdoor project to take place in Spring 2022, performed on or beside the...
Rivers Project Workshops
We have now run 2 workshops for our exciting new Rivers Project on Wednesday, July 7th and 21st. We had lots of fun exploring the sights and sounds of the...
River Allen Stories from Allenbourn Middle School
Allenbourn Middle School pupils wrote their own stories about the River Allen which runs alongside the school playing fields. water rushing, glistening by Luca water rushing, glistening in the warm...
River Memories by local people
Photo of the River Stour by Adrian Newton Members of our local community were asked to recall their own memories and stories of the rivers of Wimborne some of...
Creative Reflections by WCT Members
Members of Wimborne Community Theatre were busy in lockdown preparing for our next project on the rivers of Wimborne. Using a wide variety of media we produced videos - photos...
We’re moving on..
A very productive day yesterday spent working on a framework for our new Rivers Project - we've mapped out an exciting story along the rivers and are ready to get...
Saturday 25 September River Trail
Enjoy a Saturday stroll along an area of the Stour looking for clues along the way. You may think you know Wimborne but WCT's cryptic clues will test your knowledge. This...
Launch of New Friends of WCT Scheme
WCT is setting up a Friends' Scheme to support the group's ongoing core costs. Our growing number of WCT supporters know how WCT's site-specific theatre work has, over thirty years,...
The Silver Eel’s Journey
Stewart Bullen has written a beautiful account of the journey of the silver eel (anguila anguila) through Wimborne. In his second piece Metamorphosis he describes the journey from the Sargasso...
Marion Leatherdale
Everyone connected with Wimborne Community Theatre is deeply saddened by the recent death of Marion who had been a member since some of the first productions over thirty years ago. ...
Rivers Project featured in the Blackmore Vale
The April edition of the Blackmore Vale on-line magazine features an article on page 13 by Tracie Beardsley who recalls some personal memories of the Wimborne rivers. The Rivers of...
Have you a River Memory?
WCT is planning a site-specific community theatre production in 2021 performed in, on or near the Wimborne River Allen (one of the purest chalk streams in Europe) or the River...
Take a Sound Walk along the Stour
Photo by Adrian Newton Walk along the River Stour and listen to Adrian Newton’s 'Sound Fishing', recordings of the interior soundworld of the River Stour, captured with a pair of...
CANCELLED – Fundraising Town Trail by the River on October 4
Photo by Adrian Newton Due to the recent changes to government advice, this event has been cancelled. Although we have done a thorough risk assessment and planned for social distancing, we...
CREATIVE PROCESS FOR CHOOSING STORIES
WHAT IS OUR CREATIVE PROCESS FOR DECIDING WHICH STORIES TO CHOOSE FOR A COMMUNITY PLAY? Document accompanying talk by Tony Horitz, Director, Wimborne Community Theatre for the acta community theatre...
Community Theatre and Heritage Seminar
Telling it how it was: How can Community Theatre and Heritage partners collaborate successfully to preserve and relate stories? On June 24, 2020, Tony Horitz was invited by Neil Beddow,...
Writing in the Time of Covid • Spring 2020
https://www.wimbornecommunitytheatre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/covid-mastering.mp3 The POEMS in this SOUNDSCAPE were written during the Covid lockdown as a way of keeping in touch with the members of our group and a way of recording our...
Lockdown Revival of Mrs J by Zoom
During lockdown, WCT members have been working collaboratively online. On Sunday, 24 May, members took part in a commemorative reading of the original production Mrs J Puts Out Her Bunting, devised by Wimborne Community...
Revival Project at Priest’s House Museum
Work on the second production for the Priest's House Museum Revival project to celebrate the reopening of the refurbished museum has now been suspended. The production, scheduled for the end...
Exploring the Rivers
Work has started on our exciting new project on the rivers of Wimborne and we very much hope to be able to produce an outdoor exploration on this theme in...
Creative Mapping
At the workshop in November 24, WCT members explored ideas about the meaning special places have for us as individuals, globally and locally, and why. From the wilds of Antarctica...
Fundraising Skittles on 12th February
WCT held a successful Skittles Evening on Wednesday 12 February at a new venue - Colehill Sports & Social Club. We raised about £130 for WCT funds. A fun time was had...
Looking Forward to 2020 & Beyond
Millstream Theatre and Wimborne Community Theatre's joint workshop on Saturday November 9 explored objects for the Revival part 2 production at the Priest's House Museum in July. Amazing what you can...
Revival – Theatre at the Museum
‘Echoes of the Past’, 2019 was commissioned by Emma Ayling, Director of the Priest’s House Museum and Gardens (PHM), to produce two commemorative events: one for the closing of the museum...
A Sheep Fair by Thomas Hardy
The day arrives of the autumn fair, And torrents fall, Though sheep in throngs are gathered there, Ten thousand all, Sodden, with hurdles round them reared: And, lot by lot,...
Millstream Theatre
Millstream actors recording with Adrian Newton Millstream Theatre, based at Priest’s House Museum, will take part in the 2020 Revival theatre project commemorating the opening of the refurbished museum. Millstream...
Animating ‘Echoes of the Past’
John Low in front of the Priest’s House Museum, drawn by student from St Michael’s School (Photo credit: Alastair Nisbet) A Wimborne Stationers shop, boarded up for 30 years, has...
Recording Noises at the Museum
Sound artist, Adrian Newton, worked with WCT recording banging doors, squeaking floorboards, pacing footsteps and generally improvising sounds and voices around the Priest's House Museum. From this, Adrian will create...
Next Rehearsal at PHM – Thursday, May 23
The next rehearsal for ‘Echoes of the Past' is on Thursday, May 23. We will be rehearsing scenes all around the museum and garden. From 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm at:...
Echoes of the Past: June 2019
'Echoes of the Past' was a promenade theatre event created to mark the closing of the Museum in preparation for the next phase in the building’s history. Research by WCT...
Dunja Wood, 1949-2018
Dunja first became involved in WCT when she was teaching at Pamphill School in the 1990s, and her class took part in WCT’s first production, ‘Voyages’, in 1991 at Kingston...
Fundraising Quiz
A fun time was had at the Quiz Night on Wednesday, November 7 and we raised around £300 to help develop the group’s next community theatre project at the Priest's...
WCT’s Giant Puppet at Wimborne War on Waste Street Party
WCT's giant-puppet, now renamed Iris Willow-Walker, took to the streets of a very wet town at Wimborne War on Waste's Street Party on Saturday 22 September 2018. WWOW organizers invited...
Musicians and Singers bring Diaries to life
A wide ranging group of musicians and singers came together to perform in WCT’s production of What They Left Behind to bring to life the words of Olive Harcourt, and other women nurses and...
Instant Theatre
WCT members took part in a workshop to trigger creative ideas in preparation for the next project currently being discussed. Tony Horitz led a session of Instant Theatre, a theatre...
Film Premiere of BytheWay
A video of the production made by Wimborne Movie Makers was shown recently at their mini cinema next to the Allendale Centre, Wimborne. See here... (photo: Audience listening to a...
A sound walk for WCT performers
Members of the cast enjoyed a leisurely walk through BytheWay wood listening to the soundscapes they'd made with sound artist, Adrian Newton, which, as an integral part of the recent production,...
Wimborne Trail on 13 July
The Treasure Trail on July 13th raised the splendid amount of £261.50 for WCT funds. Nearly 50 people came and a fun time was had by all as they tracked...
BytheWay – Sounds in a Common Wood
Read comments from the audience of 6 performances of BytheWay - Sounds in a Common Wood in June. It was magical! I really felt like I was in a film. The...
Gertrude Coggin’s Autograph Book
Autograph Book This album belonged to Gertrude Bessie Coggin (1879-1963), a music teacher who nursed patients at Beaucroft Red Cross Hospital during the First World War. Ms. Coggin remained in...
Letter from Bessie Angell to the War Office
Bessie Angell wrote this letter to the War Office after the death of her son, Harry: Oct 8th 1916 Sir In reply to your notice of this morning we are...
Bistaki Residency • April 2018
Photo: Gill Horitz Sylvain, Bill Gee and Charlie Williams experiment with corn Bistaki Residency Sylvain Cousin, of leading European circus company, Bistaki, led an inspiring four-day residency with WCT members,...
Voices From 1918
Photo: Olive and Florence Harcourt at Beaucroft Red Cross Hospital, Colehill. Olive Harcourt’s diary will be used in the Voices From 1918 project. The project is being produced by delivery...
The Gathering: Messages from the Great War
Photo: Alastair Nisbet Tickets are on sale for another performance of original documentary theatre, called ‘The Gathering - Messages from the Great War’, which takes place on Friday, June 8 at...
Treasure Trail Friday July 13th 2018
Our next Fundraising event is the annual Treasure Trail through the streets of Wimborne on Friday July 13th. Just pick up the trail between 6.15 - 7.30 and set off...
BytheWay Rehearsal Schedule
Due to the hours of daylight in the first months of the year rehearsals will be on some Thursday evenings at an indoor location (venue to be confirmed) and on...
Exploring Ourselves in the Wood • January 2018
The workshop on Saturday January 13th was a great preparation for our outdoor production at BytheWay Field. Held on a cold afternoon on site, John Billington led us in exploring...
Progress at BytheWay
Members of the Creative Group recently visited the BytheWay site to walk the route the audience will take. We were on the lookout for interesting or mysterious settings for scenes,...
WCT Members Attend Bistaki’s New Show in Hull • September 2017
The collective le G Bistaki presents The Baina Trampa Fritz Fallen WCT members were invited by Inside Out Dorset’s Co-artistic director, Bill Gee, to attend Bistaki ’s show, ‘The Baina...
Autumn Workshops • 2017
The 3 workshops run through the autumn of 2017 explored the themes and materials being developed for BytheWay through music, movement and sound. On 28th September Karen Wimhurst led us...
‘By The Way’ – a new project in a wood
Making Sounds in a Wood We have been exploring ideas for a sound performance in the boggy wood known as BytheWay, in Colehill, Wimborne. Following a session earlier in 2017...
