A family-friendly eco-fable is coming to Builth Wells with puppetry, live music, and a hopeful message about the environment

Stories in the Dust comes to The Strand Hall on Wednesday, October 22 at 6pm, with the box office open from 5.15pm.

The sun beats down on two travellers, journeying across a mysterious land in a contraption they've built themselves. They sing, play games, and tell stories inspired by a collection of precious things they've gathered from a time gone by.  

With live music and puppetry, Stories in the Dust is a funny, heartfelt and hopeful eco-fable that takes you to another world. A world where an ancient book guides your way, a drop of rain changes everything and a mighty lion holds its secrets in an old clay pot.

Will our intrepid explorers make it? They're full of ideas and full of hope but dangerously low on baked beans.

Stories in the Dust is a forward-thinking Southwest company reimagining sustainable touring. 

Their current touring show, of the same name, blends live music, puppetry and bold storytelling to explore themes of displacement, environmental awareness and hope.

Stories in the Dust launched their slow touring model in 2023. This model of touring serves to embed their work into communities, developing longer term engagement through the delivery of accompanying workshops and projects.

This regularly results in a project called Young Voices, which elevates the thoughts and feelings of young people around climate change.  

The Show was written by the performers who are going to The Strand Hall, Anna Harriott and Iona Johnson :

"We worked with Longford Primary School to create Stories in the Dust.

We gathered the young people’s thoughts, feelings and questions about climate change then

wove them into the show and into this pack.

There is a question and answer session after the show to ask questions, meet the puppets and learn about acting, touring and how to evolve an original play but also how the team have worked on a carbon zero tour on small scale. 

The show, and its extensive wraparound content, has been developed in partnership with Ian Williams, Professor of Applied Environmental Science at Southampton University. 

Together, Iona, Ian and Anna have combined drama and science in what they call COMARTS. 

COMARTS tries to educate young people on important subjects, such as the climate crisis, through accessible, fun and inspiring workshops alongside the show. 

Thanks to funding from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute, Stories in the Dust continue their sustainability work, and are currently developing an impact monitoring tool alongside researcher Sammy Wood.

The show is made of 90% materials and tours with a low output lighting rig. Stories in the Dust are on the Touring Committee for the Theatre Green Book and are associate artists for the Climate Museum UK.

Stories in the Dust was developed thanks to public funding from Arts Council England and in partnership with MAST Mayflower Studios, Pound Arts, Wiltshire Creative, Southampton University and Crying Out Loud.

This play has been chosen by the Builth Wells Young Promoters led by 13 year old CEO Edie Allpress of Ysgol Calon Cymru.

Edie said: “We are so glad Night Out Arts Council Wales helped us fund this show, but we have to sell out to pay for the rest of the project. I have the most amazing group of volunteers Logan, Rufus, Joshua, Seren and Jonie. We have worked so hard and have 6000 views on Instagram and TIKTOK, we even asked Anna and Iona to make us a TIKTOK film to share our info and we shared it a few days ago and it’s already had: 500 likes and views. 

“This project is great because we are learning how to volunteer and put on a community event, that is fun, educational and appeals to all ages and cheer up the whole family at this tumultuous time.”

Raffle tickets and refreshments will be sold on the night to help them raise funds for more creative wellbeing projects for young people in the Builth Area and Mid Powys. 

Tickets for the show are £3 for children and £6 for adults 

Watch the trailer: https://www.storiesinthedust.co.uk/ and for more information call 07926211555 or 07443875016