Wagons Roll: Sharing Stories, Shaping Futures

Wagons Roll is a new project by Trigger that celebrates the rich heritage, stories and legacy of the Showmen of Bromsgrove and Redditch, whose fairground traditions have shaped local culture since the late nineteenth century.

As part of ReNEW (Bromsgrove District Council & Redditch Borough Council) Trigger is working with local communities to explore this heritage through storytelling, performance and visual art. Together, we’re developing a new piece of mobile performance inspired by the traditional showman’s wagon, fairground art and lettering.

The project will culminate in a spectacular new work appearing at carnivals across Bromsgrove and Redditch in summer 2027.

A group of young people aged 16–24 from Bromsgrove & Redditch are working alongside Trigger as Creative Producers through ReNEW’s Sharing Stories, Shaping Futures programme.

They’ll help shape the project while gaining hands-on experience of developing creative work, working with artists and bringing ideas to life in their communities.

R&D Session

On September 10th we headed to Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings in Bromsgrove to visit the Showman's Wagon exhibit. Our group of Creative Producers were tasked with carrying out an R&D session, learning as much as they could, asking questions and following threads of interest on all aspects of the exhibit. From the colours and designs painted on the wagon's interior and exterior, to the voices of community members that had been interviewed, to the atmosphere created by the music and lighting of the exhibit, our group took everything to a creative planning session.

Discussing what they were drawn to, what surprised them, and what elements they want to develop in the Wagons Roll project, we then planned initial ideas for the design of the wagon, coming up with colour schemes, slogans, and visual iconography.

Creative Storytelling Session

On 28 October, our group of Creative Producers met at Forge Mill Needle Museum, Redditch, for a practical storytelling and communications workshop.

The session explored how marketing and communications can shape the way audiences connect with a creative project from its earliest stages. Using research and ideas gathered during the R&D session, the Creative Producers planned a range of content that could tell the story of the Wagons Roll project.

Working in small groups, they brainstormed poster concepts, social media content, interview questions and blog ideas, considering how each format could communicate different aspects of the project. The session also encouraged participants to think about tone, visual identity and key messages, and how these can be adapted across different platforms and for different audiences.

Throughout the project, the Creative Producers will continue documenting the creative process, collecting stories, photographs and reflections that will be brought together in a digital zine, creating a lasting record of the wagon's development.

Looking Ahead

The Wagons Roll Creative Producer programme will continue through to the final events in late summer 2027, with monthly sessions taking place across Redditch and Bromsgrove. As the project develops, the cohort will be involved in each major stage of the journey; research and development, design, fabrication, rehearsal and the final performances.

Alongside participating in these key milestones, the Creative Producers will play an active role in documenting the project's progress, creating content, gathering stories and sharing insights from behind the scenes. Their work will help capture the people, partnerships and creative processes that shape the project from concept to completion.

If you are aged 16-25 and live in Redditch or Bromsgrove and would like to join the Creative Producer group, you can find out more on the ReNEW website.