The Bright Foundation

09/06/2026

🎈It’s our fourth birthday!🎈

We opened the doors to the Barn Theatre and Museum on 9th June 2022. Since then we’ve engaged with over 14,000 people and 8,000 children and young people.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us in that time. If you’d like to read our new Impact Report (hot off the press) you can do so here:
https://thebrightfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Bright-Foundation-IMPACT-REPORT-2024-25.pdf
🎉

06/06/2026

Our volunteers are quite a team,
Though cameras aren't their favourite theme!
They'd rather work behind the scenes,
Than star in photos, if you know what we mean.

Julie joined us in 2023
An ex-TA with bags of creativity
From Outdoor Learning in the sun,
To public events, she gets things done. 🎨

Hilary and John, they go way back,
a few decades along the track.
And that gorgeous wolf you saw in the show -
Her clever creation don’t you know! 🐺

Kevin is here each Wednesday night,
Helping young filmmakers get it right
A BBC cameraman with loads of skill,
Sharing his knowledge with patience (and Will). 🎥

So here's a cheer for all they do,
For every task they see right through.
Though they may dodge the camera's glare,
We're very grateful to have them here! 🎉

06/06/2026

03/06/2026

What a few days! 🎉

A HUGE thank you to everyone who joined us for the Red & the Wolf Open Days. We were thrilled to welcome so many visitors, with smiles, creativity, and ☀️sunshine aplenty.

Friday morning was particularly memorable as we celebrated the relaunch of our Barn Theatre following extensive renovations.

✨Four very special theatre seats were unveiled, generously sponsored by 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐢 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡, 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐢𝐦 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐁𝐄, 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐁𝐄, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥✨

We were honoured to be joined by celebrated children’s author Dane Jacqueline Wilson, Multi Academy-Award, BAFTA, Emmy, and Olivier winning costume designer Jenny Beavan OBE (who enjoyed sitting in her very own seat!), actor Amanda Burton, Helena Dollimore MP, and many friends from local organisations.

🎈The Open Days also marked an exciting milestone: four years since our launch. In that time, more than 14,000 people have taken part in our activities, including 8,000 children and young people, many facing significant challenges in their lives.

📖 If you’d like to be part of our story, we’d love to hear from you. You can join our Supporters Circle from just £10 a month.

- See our website https://thebrightfoundation.org.uk/get-involved/support-us/
- Drop us a line on [email protected]; or
- Give us a call on 01424 559020 to find out more.

🙏Thank you for being part of our journey so far!

📷 Alice Denny, Elizabeth Als

26/05/2026

🐾 Three wildly talented humans are loose on the grounds for our Red & The Wolf Open Days 🎭🎶✨

Expect roaming music, stories, laughter, ditties and delightful chaos from:

🎹 Ellie Westbrook – accordion-wielding jolly-vibe spreader
🎤 Megan Leigh Mason – folk-pop storytelling magic
🐺 Lauren Douglin – award-nominated actor, comedian & immersive theatre mischief-maker

Theatre-maker, singer and accordionist Ellie is also artistic director of TUFT, creating bold performances everywhere from castles to caves. Her work spans opera, clowning and experimental theatre, with appearances from the Southbank Centre to New York’s La MaMa.

Singer-songwriter and actor Megan’s West End credits include Sunny Afternoon and The Worst Witch. Her original music blends quirky, heartfelt storytelling with a distinctive folk-inspired sound.

Previously introduced as co-creator of our show, The Ballad of Red and the Wilding Wolf, Lauren Douglin is an award-nominated actor, voice actor and comedian with a passion for immersive family storytelling and wonderfully unpredictable theatre magic.

🎟️Have you booked your tickets?

🗓️Thursday 28th – Saturday 30th.
📍Barn Theatre and Museum, Westfield, TN35 4PH
🕥 Gates open 10:30am; Performances at 11:00 & 1:30pm

https://thebrightfoundation.org.uk/events/the-ballad-of-red-the-wilding-wolf/

(Heavily discounted tickets available for those experiencing hardship)

21/05/2026

Good food + sunshine ☀️ + open days = 👌🏽

𝑭𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 will be back with us next week keeping everyone wonderfully well fed!

Expect Helen’s gorgeous salads, yummy sandwiches and devilishly delicious cake - all very reasonably priced and just the thing for a trip to Grandma’s House!

Grab some lunch, pull up a rug on the lawn and voilà… picnic perfection ☀️🥗🧺🐺

14/05/2026

That's a wrap: 12 films, 11 schools, 8 weeks 🎬

Huge congrats to our film team for supporting 11 Hastings and St Leonards Schools to create and submit films to the Children's International Film Festival, coming to Hastings in June!

We can't wait to see the final films🍿