The aims of the project were to go into the community to produce a play, and to make better use of all the research material than in past projects - creating an education pack for schools, and putting information on a website.

We heard about the LHI scheme through a member of our steering committee who knew about funding opportunities because she is a local authority arts development officer.

The LHI team saw a draft of our application, and project support worker Chrissie Morris visited our steering group to identify areas we might expand on and to suggest other ways in which they could help, for example by funding equipment.

It was quite a long process, but we were awarded all the money we applied for and were pleased with the amount of advice and support we had from the LHI. We were invited to send a representative to an LHI meeting in Exeter, which included information on how to access the website and that sort of thing. Everyone we've met from LHI has been extremely helpful - always very positive, usually very quick to respond, and very flexible regarding the formalities that needed to be undertaken.

We always like to establish local links so that we find out about the real local stories, the ones that are not necessarily found in archives. The LHI project meant we were able to do more research than we usually do, involving people from both the theatre group and the local community, and it can be used again in other contexts. For example, we recorded interviews with Holt villagers, and those recordings have been passed to the Priest House Museum in Wimborne as part of another project about local dialects - some very good dialects came out of those interviews.

Through this project, I've learned more about a place that's very close to where I live. I now know, and understand - and visit - that part of the area more than I did before. The person who's working on our website lives in Holt.

From the feedback we've had, local people not only have greater awareness of their own environment, and go into the forest more themselves, but they have also seen how it's possible to do something artistically in your environment.

Our LHI project has certainly had a lasting effect on the community. We've raised local awareness of part of their history, reminded them of individuals and events that have gone before, and prompted them to reminisce a bit.

We had changed the name of one of the key characters because he was known to like a drink and we didn't want to offend remaining family or others who knew him. But they all recognised him in the play, and asked us why we didn't use his real name.

Some people came to the performance more than once. The village is still talking about it, we're still selling copies of the video and soundscape CD, and WCT hope to build on the interest and involvement of children and parents who were drawn in by this production in our next production at White Mill in Sturminster Marshall.

We think it's tremendously important for the children to learn more about where they live, so that they can understand where they've come from and understand why things are the way they are now, or could be in the future.

We hope to do another, smaller production this year, and I've made enquiries about whether we can apply for another LHI grant in the future to help produce a larger project again.