Tracks and traces - An Exmoor story

Written by Clare O’Connor, External Relations Manager, Exmoor National Park Authority
CKOConnor@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk

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Last year youngsters from more than 30 schools in the Exmoor area, plus members of the Exmoor Society enjoyed performances of a challenging  environmental play about Exmoor. Called “Tracks and Traces – an Exmoor Story” it combined live performances by the professional group The Common Players with video and power point presentations to entertain, inform and challenge the audience about their thinking of Exmoor.  

The commissioning and writing of the play was the result of a joint partnership between the Exmoor Society and the Exmoor National Park Authority.  For over two years both bodies had worked on the production made successful funding bids to the Sustainable Development Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund.  As an adjunct to the whole event, the children of Dulverton Middle School will make an evaluation document on the process of the production including interviews with other children.

Exmoor National Park Authority education officer Dave Gurnett said: "The play was an exciting and challenging way to communicate historical and sensitive issues that hasn't been tried in the National Park before in such depth. The play had a touching array of both emotive and humorous scenes as the farmer deliberates over the future of his farm and a pair of red grouse talk to one another about the invasion of the French little egret."

During 2007 an academic review of the play took place at the Rural Futures Conference at the University of Plymouth and the Exmoor Society and National Park Authority hope that the presentation will be a springboard for future funding bids to take the play to a much wider audience.

Dave Gurnett explains: “We aspire to having a play that combines drama with the best images and might, during a performance, stop and ask a difficult question of the audience. Their replies could be in the form of discussion or perhaps even touch buttons, the play will then continue until another tricky issue is raised in the drama.”

Chris Whinney, spokesman for the Society said:  “It is important that children who live on or visit Exmoor should have a further understanding of the area and why it is so special, not only locally but nationally and internationally as well.  It will also be a way of finding out what their views are about Exmoor and hopefully, inspire them to want to protect it in the future.”