Guest article – Wrexham Community and Culture Trust
Wrexham Community & Culture Trust (WCCT), the organisation leading the Wrecsam2029 campaign for Wrexham’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2029, has appointed Wrexham-based Dirty Protest Theatre to deliver a county-wide programme of innovative, inclusive creative engagement workshops across Wrexham County Borough.
This local artist-led programme will bring together a wide cross-section of Wrexham’s communities, offering playful, imaginative and accessible opportunities for residents to explore creative expression, celebrate the county’s cultural identity, and help shape a shared vision for Wrexham’s cultural future. The workshops will act as welcoming forums where communities can authentically share, co-design and influence key ideas for the Wrecsam2029 programme, ensuring that the bid is rooted firmly in the lived experiences and aspirations of local people.
Drawing on performance, sound, movement, craft, storytelling and multilingual creative practice, the sessions will be inclusive, intergenerational and responsive, designed in collaboration with Wrexham-based artists, cultural organisations and community hubs. Workshops will take place across the county borough between now and February 2026, ensuring wide participation and representation from communities with diverse identities, languages and experiences.
“Wrexham has always been a county of makers, movers and dreamers, and we’re proud to build on the creative events that have put local, national and international arts at the heart of our community. Working with Wrecsam2029, we’re stepping in with curiosity, play and a fierce belief in the imagination of the people who live here. Alongside a troupe of brilliant local artists who breathe and inspire culture across the county, we’re creating joyful spaces where ideas spark and the future of Wrexham is shaped by the voices that know it best.” – Natasha Borton, local artist and Catherine Paskell, Artistic Director, Dirty Protest Theatre.
Dirty Protest Theatre – the Wrexham-based award-winning Welsh company known for its innovative, community-centred approach to theatre-making across Wales and internationally – was selected following a formal tender process assessed against the original commission brief. WCCT trustees and staff will continue to monitor and support the programme, ensuring it aligns with the Trust’s aims and contributes meaningfully to the development of a long-term cultural strategy for the region.
At the end of the workshop programme, WCCT and Dirty Protest Theatre will host a public creative sharing event to showcase the ideas, artworks, performances and voices that emerge from the sessions. Dirty Protest Theatre will also present a detailed set of findings to WCCT, providing key insights to help guide the Wrecsam2029 bid and inform future cultural programming across the county.
Morgan Thomas, Culture Bid Coordinator for Wrecsam2029, said:
“Wrexham’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2029 is rooted in the people who call this place home. These workshops ensure that the authentic, diverse voices of Wrexham are not only heard but placed at the heart of the bid and our cultural future. I’m really looking forward to attending the sessions myself and seeing communities connect with such an exciting and imaginative project. A huge thank you to Dirty Protest Theatre for presenting such an inclusive, creative and inspiring vision for engaging with Wrexham’s communities.”
Get involved
The first workshops have been announced and WCCT encourages residents from all backgrounds, ages and communities to take part.
More workshops, conversations, and drop in events will be announced in the coming weeks.
Upcoming Workshops:
Workshop 1
Date: Wednesday 3rd December
Venue: Homegrown, 51 Peris (the old GP Surgery), Plas Madoc, LL14 3LE
Time: Drop-in from 9am–12pm
How to Book: Turn up at Homegrown for the Craft and Brew session (no booking required)
Description:
An open opportunity for residents in Plas Madoc to have a brew and a chat about what they’d like to see from Wrecsam2029, and what culture in Wrexham means to them.
Workshop 2
Date: Friday 12th December
Venue: Wrexham Miners’ Project,3 Maesgwyn Rd, Wrexham LL11 2AP
Time: 11am–2pm, with a bilingual & touch tour of the Wrexham Rescue Station at 10am
How to Book: Open to the public. Turn up on the day.
Description:
Join local artists Andy Hickie, Sophia Leadill and Ben Wilson for a workshop celebrating Wrexham’s creative spirit. Enjoy local music, storytelling through food, and Mari Lwyd–inspired crafts while meeting the artist team shaping conversations across the programme. A joyful, imaginative space to connect, create and help shape the narrative of Wrecsam2029. As well as being open to anyone, this session will be accessible to blind and partially sighted people, through free audio description and touch tour support.
Workshop 3
Date: Wednesday 17th December
Venue: Tŷ Pawb, Market Street, Wrexham, LL13 8BY
Time: 7pm–10pm
How to Book: Open to the public.
Description:
A Christmas party like no other, hosted by local legend Shaggerada. Expect big energy, bold surprises and a festive celebration packed with music, mischief and pure Wrexham spirit. Be part of the Wrecsam2029 conversations in a night of unforgettable fun and fearless creativity led by our own Outrageous Drag Queen and guests.
Workshop 4
Date: Thursday 18th December
Venue: Pontcysyllte Chapel Tea Rooms, Bryn Seion Chapel, Station Rd, Trevor, LL20 7TP
Time: 10am–12pm
How to Book: Open to the public (drop-in).
Description:
Come have a proper chat with a cracking crew of local artists as we dive into what culture means for Wrexham. Drop in, grab a brew, and get stuck into a lively conversation full of buzz, banter and bold ideas for the future. Bring your voice, your vibes and your Wrecsam spirit.
