Community appeal seeks imaginative blooms for local theatre production
The St George’s Community Players in Morpeth have issued a call to local people to create hundreds of hand-made sunflowers for the finale of their November staging of Calendar Girls. Co-directed by Anne Marie Cairns and Sharon Saint Lamont, the production will make use of the flowers on stage and in a companion fundraising calendar.
The group is inviting schools, craft clubs, faith groups, families and individuals to contribute large sunflowers made from any medium — card, paper, fabric, felt, knitting, crochet, tatting or recycled materials are all acceptable. The emphasis is on imagination rather than uniformity: the co-directors and cast want a diverse and striking display.
"A sunflower doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, the more individual and imaginative they are, the better."
That guidance comes from a spokesperson for the St George’s Community Players, who also set practical details for contributors. Completed flowers should be delivered by 15 November. A labelled drop-off box will be available outside 11 Mains Place, Morpeth, close to the stepping stones. Donors are invited to write their name on the back of any contribution so there is a lasting record of those who supported the community project.
- What: Hand-made sunflowers for the finale and fundraising calendar
- When: Donations needed by 15 November
- Where: Drop-off box outside 11 Mains Place, Morpeth (near stepping stones)
Calendar Girls, written by Tim Firth and based on a true story, follows a group of WI women who produce an unconventional calendar to raise funds for a hospital charity. The play has resonated across the UK for its blend of humour, friendship and community spirit. In Morpeth, the Players say the sunflowers will be central to the production’s closing sequence and will also be photographed for a calendar, with proceeds earmarked for a cancer charity.
The appeal is typical of small theatres that draw on town networks to create visual spectacle without straining production budgets. For many community companies the process of making props and scenery is itself a way to involve people who might not normally attend rehearsals or sit on stage: schools can include craft sessions in the classroom, knitting groups may produce multiple blooms, and families can work together at home.
Members of the St George’s Company pictured at the appeal launch include Suzi Hutton, Sarah Farnsworth-Watson, Janet Robinson and Sue Rutherford, alongside the co-directors. The group has said the calendar project is being developed alongside the production and will offer another opportunity for the community’s creativity to support a worthwhile cause.
Theatre in small towns such as Morpeth often depends on volunteers for everything from front-of-house duties to costume making. This sunflower drive underlines how productions can become broader civic endeavours, drawing in groups and individuals who contribute their time and skills as part of a collective effort.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deadline for donations | 15 November |
| Drop-off point | 11 Mains Place, Morpeth (near stepping stones) |
| Intended use of proceeds | To support a cancer charity via a fundraising calendar |
Anyone wishing to contribute or to find out more about the project should contact the St George’s Community Players through their usual local channels. The group’s request is simple: make something distinctive and bring it to town before the mid-November deadline. For many contributors, the reward will be seeing their work as part of a theatre finale and in a calendar that benefits a local cause.
