Plans for interactive performances in forest that inspired Hundred Acre Wood revealed

Ashdown Forest has announced plans for The Big One Hundred, a new public arts project created and produced by Trigger, marking 100 years since the publication of A A Milne’s first Winnie-the-Pooh stories.

The programme will take place from summer 2026 and will centre on Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, the landscape that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood.

The project will invite visitors to explore the forest through a series of free interactive performances, walks and events. At the centre of the programme will be a large-scale puppet creature designed by Trigger and inspired by the forest’s landscape and wildlife. The creature will appear in site-specific performances, supported by Wealden District Council, and will also tour to other cultural and heritage locations across the district, with dates and venues to be announced.

Alongside the performances, five new themed walks will be introduced in Ashdown Forest, including the site’s first all-weather route. Each walk will focus on a different species native to the forest, including the Dartford warbler, silver-studded blue butterfly, adder, tiger beetle and dormouse.

As part of the programme, primary schools across Wealden will be offered free workshops, giving children opportunities to create drawings and stories inspired by the new character. The wider public will also be invited to submit ideas, artwork and name suggestions for the creature.

The Big One Hundred is funded by Wealden District Council with support from Arts Council England and the Ashdown Forest Foundation. Further details, including specific dates, will be announced in due course.