Westbury on Trym shops get in on the act

Westbury on Trym shops get in on the act as Trading Local comes to the village.

Trading Local is live theatre performed in local shops and it is coming to WoT, Sue Boyd, of WoT Society, revealed at the Neighbourhood Partnership (NP) meeting tonight.

Sue explained how it will work: "On Saturday, April 24, next year, there will be five-minute monologues about Westbury businesses and residents performed by professional actors from the Show of Strength Theatre Company.

"The scripts will be written by local people specifically for the event, so if anyone likes writing stories or has any good stories to tell, then I would love to hear from them.

"We are running creative writing workshops throughout February and the beginning of March for the project.

"Trading Local is about fostering a community spirit across the whole age spectrum, so we are really keen to ensure that the workshops appeal to all age groups.

"Local secondary school-aged youngsters are encouraged to get involved just as much as older residents. And, If you are in the middle, then you are very welcome too!"

"Trading Local will be a fun, exciting and inclusive project for local businesses and WoT residents interested in helping bring some vitality back to the village, keen on finding out more about the history of the place that we live and trade in, and willing to play a small part in giving the local economy a boost.

"The stories that come out of the creative writing workshops will then be judged by the team from Show of Strength, and the chosen ones will be performed on the day."

Also present at the NP meeting was Show of Strength Creative Producer Sheila Hannon, who co-founded the company in 1986, said of the Bedminster event: "The live performances were played in all sorts of shops including a tattoo parlour. The event was hugely successful, 500-700 local people watched the live performances.

"On average 49 people watched each performance. "

Sue added: "I went along to the event in Bedminster, and it was fantastic.

"The stories were poignant, funny and interesting. I think it is a nice thing for Westbury on Trym to do, and to really go for it."

If you are interested in attending one of the free creative writing workshops and would like to receive more details in due course, please contact Sue at sueboyd@dircon.co.uk or call her on 950 9621.