Please help us across the finish line!

We want to illuminate, empower and celebrate the lives of 12 historical Dorset women.

For over a year, WOMEN OF DORSET (www.womenofdorset.com) has been working with volunteer researchers and over 150 workshop participants from across the county to create and make UNEARTHED.

UNEARTHED is a fierce and joyous new community play about (extra)ordinary historical women from across time who lived, loved, survived and thrived across our county.

The play will be brought to life by a brilliant community cast of 50 Dorset women – with ages ranging from 8 to 82 - at Dorchester Arts and Lighthouse Poole, in July 2026.

The play is about a young, contemporary woman called Sam, who attends an out-of-this-world party - brimming with tales, tunes and tittle-tattle.

We want to illuminate the stages and streets of Dorchester and Poole with the faces of women past and present and celebrate their achievements.

Your donation will:

*Ensure that the community benefits from the highest production values

*Ensure a professional creative and production team

*Fund the lantern parade that will take the faces of our historical women through the Dorset streets in a celebratory lantern parade

*Elevate and highlight the importance and need of working together as a community

*Empower women – helping them to find their voice and celebrate their stories

*Celebrate and reclaim forgotten stories of women’s achievements from across the county

*Give women access to perform on the best stages in Dorset

Written by Stephanie Dale

Directed by Penny Levick

Designed and photographed by Jayne Jackson

Costumes by Maddie Pescod

Music by Hannah Marsh and Tim Laycock

Lighting by Jessie Addinall

Community Officer and Press by Ruth Hayes

Produced by Stephanie Dale and Dorchester Arts, with Lighthouse Poole.

Performed by 50 women - aged 8-82 - from across Dorset.

Find us on Instagram and Facebook.