StoneCrabs Theatre Reflects on ‘Force of Nature’ Project

StoneCrabs Theatre has wrapped up its Force of Nature project, delivered with support from Isle of Wight National Landscape as part of the Discovering Landscapes initiative.

Running from January to June 2025, the programme offered ten sessions celebrating the Island’s natural beauty, with visits to sites in both the Bay and West Wight.

Guided by artists Rebecca Tremain and Katy Suggitt, participants reconnected with the outdoors and created works inspired by their experiences.

Locations included Brading Downs, Ventnor Botanic Garden, and the Rare Breeds Farm at Alverstone, as well as West Wight landmarks such as Dimbola Lodge, Farringford Gardens, and the Longstone.

The sessions coincided with the spring and summer equinoxes, marking the changing seasons.

Open to all ages, they encouraged a wide range of creative responses, from artwork and poetry to music and photography. Participants described the experience as “fun and inspirational” and “a total joy”, with a warm, inclusive atmosphere.

The project concluded with a celebration event showcasing the walks and the creativity they inspired.

Many moments were captured by filmmaker Sam Lapham, and the resulting film—screened at the event—is now available on the StoneCrabs YouTube channel.

StoneCrabs Associate Artist and Producer Ben Murray-Homes, who attended the screening, said the project had fostered “the camaraderie of a group of disparate individuals finding friendship and connection as they traversed, chatted, and sang.”

Looking ahead, StoneCrabs Theatre has a busy programme of upcoming events.

From July to October, their Performed Walks will take participants on journeys through LGBTQ+ history, introducing figures such as Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, Charlotte Mew, and the members of Ferguson’s Gang—all of whom had connections to the Island.

Details are available on the StoneCrabs blog.

The company is also launching a new project, funded by Historic England: Celebrating LGBTQ+ Working Class Histories in Ryde.

This will explore the hidden heritage of Union Street and several of its historic venues, some of which no longer exist.