National Theatre Wales TEAM are delighted with the response to their first sharing of Go Tell the Bees. Projected onto a large screen at Manorbier Castle last weekend (May 7-9), the film features a wealth of Pembrokeshire talent, faces and places familiar to us all.

The Torch Theatre’s Pembrokeshire Stories, broadcast alongside the film, provided the perfect accompaniment and was a beautiful addition to the overall audience experience.

Accompanying the film was an exhibition created by over 500 schoolchildren and 35 artists, including Mena Evans, Sand Palace Arts, Lloyd the Graffiti and poet Kerry Steed, with support from teachers and staff from across the county as well as an app, featuring stories created by the pupils of Manorbier School with local storyteller Phil Okwedy - http://gotellthebees.org/

Co-created by Naomi Chiffi, Di Ford and Sita Thomas, Go Tell the Bees is a result of four years’ intensive engagement between National Theatre Wales TEAM and the people of Pembrokeshire, funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Arts Council Wales, with the intention of creating a large-scale, live event to celebrate the project.

Unfortunately, Coronavirus restrictions meant that plans needed to change; it was therefore decided that the creation of a film would be the best way to most safely share the work, whilst still achieving the ambition of featuring as many people and places as initially hoped.

Taking the anniversary of the Sea Empress Disaster as its inspiration, Go Tell the Bees is the story of a young boy, Dryw, who is drawn to bring the community back together again to help share their stories with the bees in order to keep our planet alive.

Featuring a cast of 400, including people from across Pembrokeshire and beyond who submitted their own footage to feature in the film, Go Tell the Bees stars a wide variety of local talent, including Molara Awen, Phil Okwedy, Abigail Beck, Ivan Black, Jon Foreman, David Pepper, On Your Toes School of Dance, Samba Doc, One Voice Choir, Guy Manning, Harry Cromwell and many more, with original music by John Lawrence and Jess Ward and animation and design by Gemma Green-Hope and Tom Frost.

The film also features a number of local community groups, including the VC Gallery, Get The Boys a Lift and St. Davids’ Bluetits Chill Swimmers.

Sian Richardson, of the Bluetits Chill Swimmers, said she “felt honoured to be a part of this truly stunning film.”

Assistant learning manager of expressive arts, Chris Prosser, said: “When asked to be involved in the making of ‘Go Tell the Bees’, both pupils and staff at Haverfordwest VC High School were inspired. Coming out of lockdown and a need to reconnect with others and nature, this project brought the whole school community together. Each Year 7 pupil created a hexagonal artwork which, when joined, truly embraced the need to work together, look after each other and take care of the planet.”

Chair of the Pembroke Ladies Lifeboat Guild, Daphne Bush, said: “In a word - incredible! What an advert for Pembrokeshire and the importance of sustaining what we have. I hope there are plans for future shows when larger audiences are permissible.”

National Theatre Wales TEAM are hoping to share the film again in locations throughout Pembrokeshire over the summer as lockdown restrictions continue to ease.