THE dramatic Jurassic Coast provides a unique backdrop for the annual Shute Festival, based in West Dorset and East Devon. Throughout its ten years, it has focused on celebrating the natural world, the environment and performing and literary arts. This year’s festival is based at the Marine Theatre and the Peek Chapel, in Lyme Regis and runs from 25th to 29th September.
The Jurassic Coast is a significant feature of two events with geologist Richard Edmonds: a talk which looks at how the Earth captures carbon, the geological processes and timescales, the sheer volumes involved and therefore the scale of the issue that faces us, and how working with the Earth could offer some degree of mitigation. There will also be a walk which explores Lyme Regis’ coastal defences past and present.
Artist Alex Boon will be leading a nature walk-and-draw along the banks of the River Lim. Campaigner, ecologist and author Hannah Bourne-Taylor will be talking about her new book Nature Needs You: The Fight to Save Our Swifts. Social entrepreneur Carry Somers will be exploring the themes in her book The Nature of Fashion: a botanical story of our material lives.
Biologist and writer Sophie Pavelle will talk about the extraordinary symbiotic relationships in nature and Peruvian explorer and scientist Dr Rosa Vasquez Espinoza will take the audience on a journey to the Amazon rainforest and its people and plants.
An event that explores one of the world’s most significant issues will be Ukrainian Play: A Conversation that Never Happened, written and directed by Anastazie Toros, on Monday 29th September. Performers are needed to take part in this show – no prior experience is necessary. Participants will have the exciting experience of being directed by Anastazie, a London-based Ukrainian play director and writer. You will need to be available for rehearsals on 27th and 28th September. Contact Chris Gill on chrisgill61@nullmsn.com for more details.
The impressive 2025 line-up also includes Gwyneth Lewis, Philippe Sands, Louisa Adjoa Parker, Horatio Clare, Paddy Magrane, Anna Wickins, Philip Marsden, Jane Robinson, Carry Somers, Bijan Omrani, Lisa Clifford and Alex Chula.
Shute Festival has been collaborating with the independent Archway Bookshop in Axminster throughout its ten years – Tim and Simon will be running the pop-up book shop for all events at the Marine Theatre and Peek Chapel. Archway Bookshop, now in new premises in Axminster, is the literary heartbeat of the town. To order any books, visit https://archwaybookshop.co.uk/