wimborne’s stories and community take centre stage as belonging opens at kingston lacy
Make it stand out
From a traditional opening cry by Wimborne Town Crier Chris Brown to performances by local schoolchildren, musicians and community members, Belonging: Our Search for Home is bringing Wimborne’s stories, people and history to life in the gardens of Kingston Lacy after dark.
The production opened on Tuesday evening and runs until Sunday 27 September, giving audiences four more opportunities to experience the promenade performance created especially for Wimborne as part of its year as Dorset Town of Culture 2026.
Created and produced by Wimborne Community Theatre, Belonging brings together professional artists with a large cast of local performers, musicians, young people and community members – the culmination of months of workshops, rehearsals and creative activity across the town.
The evening begins with an interactive fair, where young musicians from local schools are among those performing live music. Audiences are then led through Kingston Lacy’s gardens as darkness falls, encountering characters, stories, performances and music along the way.
The experience begins with another unmistakably Wimborne voice, as local legend and Wimborne Town Crier Chris Brown delivers a traditional town cry to welcome audiences before their journey begins.
At the heart of the production are stories inspired by Wimborne and the history and legends of Kingston Lacy. A teenager prepares to leave the town, an old man has something still unsaid, and figures from the estate’s past emerge from the landscape as audiences travel through its gardens.
The result is a production that could only happen here – rooted in Wimborne, created with its community and performed within a landscape whose history and relationship with the town are woven into the story itself.
Rohan Gotobed, Guest Director of Belonging, said:
“It’s been wonderful to finally see Belonging come to life at Kingston Lacy and to see audiences experiencing everything that so many people have worked together to create.
“This really is a production made by and for Wimborne. From young people performing and playing music to the huge number of local people appearing throughout the story, the community is at the heart of it. To see them bringing Wimborne’s stories to life in this extraordinary landscape has been incredibly special.”
35 years of community theatre in Wimborne
For Wimborne Community Theatre, Belonging is particularly significant as the company celebrates 35 years of creating original community theatre inspired by local places and the lives of people past and present.
The production has been developed by Wimborne Community Theatre with creative consultation from Wildworks, the UK’s leading landscape theatre company, alongside Guest Director Rohan Gotobed, Wimborne Community Theatre Artistic Director Tony Horitz and Musical Director Karen Wimhurst.
Tony Horitz, Artistic Director of Wimborne Community Theatre, said:
“Belonging brings together so much of what Wimborne Community Theatre has been about over the past 35 years – telling stories inspired by this place and creating theatre with the people who live here.
“To see children, young people, musicians and performers from across our community bringing those stories to life alongside professional artists at Kingston Lacy has been incredibly rewarding. It feels like a fitting way to celebrate 35 years of making theatre in and with Wimborne.”
Belonging has been created as part of HOME, a landmark project for Wimborne as Dorset Town of Culture 2026, bringing together theatre, music, visual art and film to explore ideas of home and belonging.
Emma Kerr, Wimborne 2026 Programme Manager, said:
“Belonging is a real celebration of Wimborne – its stories, its history and, most importantly, its people. What makes it so special is the sheer number of local people who have helped bring it to life, performing, making music and creating something together that is completely unique to our town.
“The first two nights have been fantastic, but there are still four opportunities to experience it. If you haven’t booked yet, we’d really encourage you to come along before the final performance on Sunday and see Kingston Lacy – and Wimborne – in a completely different way.”
Four nights remain
Belonging: Our Search for Home continues at Kingston Lacy tonight (Thursday 24 September), Friday 25, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026.
Gates open at 6.15pm, with the interactive fair from 6.30pm and the promenade performance beginning at 7pm.
Tickets are on sale now: wimborne2026.com/belonging
The promenade performance follows an accessible route through Kingston Lacy’s gardens.
An accessible minibus shuttle service also runs between Wimborne and Kingston Lacy for £1.50 per person return, with pick-ups from Leigh Park, by the Community Centre, and The Square, outside Nationwide. Spaces are limited and advance booking is essential, with the minibus option available when booking performance tickets online.
Carers or companions accompanying a paying adult can attend the production free of charge, as can children under three.
Belonging: Our Search for Home runs at Kingston Lacy from Tuesday 22 to Sunday 27 September 2026.
Gates open: 6.15pm
Interactive fair: from 6.30pm
Performance begins: 7pm
Belonging: Our Search for Home is created and produced by Wimborne Community Theatre as part of Wimborne’s year as Dorset Town of Culture, and HOME, a landmark project for Wimborne 2026.
It is supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Talbot Village Trust, and supported by Wimborne 2026’s partners and sponsors: Wimborne Minster Town Council, Dorset Council, Arts Development Company, Wimborne BID and Canford School.