Creatives mark Winnie-the-Pooh's 100th anniversary

Interactive performances are being prepared to mark 100 years since the publication of A. A. Milne's first collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stories.

Trigger, known for large scale outdoor puppets, will present The Big One Hundred in Ashdown Forest, a series of free cultural events in the forest and throughout East Sussex.

Supported by Wealden District Council, Trigger will also tour a new puppet to other local cultural and heritage sites this summer, with dates and locations to be announced.

Councillor Rachel Millward said: "We're proud to support a programme that honours our cultural heritage, brings communities together, and builds a lasting legacy for Ashdown Forest."

She added: "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to celebrate a story cherished across the globe, while protecting the extraordinary landscape that inspired it."

Ashdown Forest, A.A. Milne's inspiration for the magical Hundred Acre Wood, is a rare heathland landscape – a habitat rarer than a tropical rainforest – and a Site of Special Scientific Interest that is home to some of Europe's most threatened species.

From this summer, visitors will be invited to explore the forest and discover its newest inhabitant, a large-scale, mythical puppet creature inspired by the landscape and its unique species through a series of interactive performances.

Primary schools across Wealden will be offered free workshops, giving children the chance to draw their own version of the creature or write a story inspired by 'The Curious Adventurer'.

Members of the public can also get involved by suggesting a name for the creature and submit their own drawings and stories to Trigger's Instagram or using the hashtag #TheBigOneHundred.

The project is also supported by The Ashdown Forest Foundation, whose investment will help protect the valuable landscape of Ashdown Forest.

Mark Pearson, chief executive officer at Ashdown Forest, said: "We look forward to welcoming them as visitors who can follow in the footsteps of A. A Milne, while witnessing the charm of the landscape and the need to look after it for the next 100 years to come."