The final celebration at Bromyard’s Conquest Theatre paid dramatic tribute to the Past In Mind project.
In the few weeks leading up to this event our stress levels were almost unbearable. We were so keen to do the project justice. The ‘Day in the Life’ idea sprung up at the end of an intense brainstorming session, dangerously close to the event itself. It kindled a fire of creativity which strayed into the realms of madness. Head rushing adrenalin which feeds the brain’s thirst for more stimuli can send the ‘possessed’ writer into an alternative reality. But the rewards are phenomenal.
On the day itself, as I sat on the theatre stage waiting to recite my piece, I felt thrilled to be taking part. Some of my close friends were among the audience and I couldn’t help feeling proud of our achievements as a team.
A year ago, many of the volunteers would have run away from a theatre costume, a script and an audience. Yet here we all were, eager to share our project with a public audience through dramatic snapshots of Studmarsh and its people moving through time.
I will shortly post the ‘Day in the Life’ pieces on the Blog along with links to some video footage of the event.
Archaeologist Ian Bapty, historian Dr. Kate Lack, and project Manager Jenny McMillan gave lively accounts of the academic and personal findings from the project.
We were offered medieval-style refreshments produced and made by locals. These were much appreciated.
Although this particular project has drawn to a close, Past in Mind lives on. The door has been opened to other opportunities linked to local heritage, volunteer work and further research.
This means that Blog from the Bog will definitely not stop here.
From a mental health point of view, volunteers have experienced ups and downs during the past year but I can safely say that no one has regretted taking part in the project. We have grown together and all participants feel justifiably proud.
I will end this post with a genuine thank you to everyone who has been involved with Past in Mind.
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