Hastings Theatre Project
Curated by Dan Hutton and Poppy Rowley.
As part of our collaboration with the Stables for their SCENE AND HEARD festival, we’re going to be running a workshop about producing and making local theatre.
This Scene & Heard Festival 2026, we’ve invited a group of incredible artists and theatre-makers to showcase some work in progress pieces. Unravelling Twins by Anna and Georgina Lewis looks at the joint topics of being a twin and having cancer and has been on a journey with HTP from its inception on the Project Playwrights course back in 2024. A Brother’s Call by Tom Messmer showcases the writing of our DFL (the show) actor. Tapestry by Jess Mabel Jones explores one woman’s relationship with the Bayeux Tapestry. And Topshops Gone?! is a new piece by Helen Black, who is back fresh from a successful run at Brighton Fringe. Follow us on @hastingstheatreproject for more on these shows!
HASTINGS THEATRE PROJECT WORKSHOP
Following huge success with their year-long episodic show ‘DFL’ and artist development nights ‘Itch That Scratch’, join Hastings Theatre Project for an evening of intriguing new theatre, made by and about people in our town.
We can’t tell you much more right now, as there’s a chance we’ll be responding to current events, but book now to find out and prepare to be surprised, amazed and informed by a goodie bag of theatrical treats.
MAKING LOCAL THEATRE IN HASTINGS
Local Theatres: Participation, Inclusion, Imagination is a national research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The project – involving researchers from four universities: Royal Holloway, University of London, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, The University of Sunderland and University of York – is the first major study of local theatres, investigating professional, youth and amateur theatre across England. Part of this research explores the contribution theatres make to their local communities, for example supporting local people in building artistic careers closer to home; and how theatres, theatre companies and makers are telling stories that reimagine local identities and local life.
As part of the research, we are collaborating with The Stables Theatre on their annual Scene & Heard Festival. The theme for Scene & Heard 2026 is ‘Making Local Stories’. The festival will host work made by local theatre makers and companies who responded to our research project’s call – for small stories that uncover, explore, and inspire new imaginaries of life (and theatre-making) in Hastings. We are excited to be working with 1066 Youth Theatre, Hastings Theatre Project, and Bev Lee Harling and the Molly Winklers.
Findings and practical outcomes from the wider project can be found on our website: localtheatres.wordpress.com
Scene and Heard Festival 2026 is in collaboration with and supported by the AHRC funded research project Local Theatres: Participation, Inclusion, Imagination.
Technical team supported by the Mike Boakes Fund
Approximate run time (no interval) – 60 minutes.
