Pursued By A Bear and Dacorum Borough Council Present HOW TO LIVE

Pursued by a Bear shares the final instalment of Nothing On Earth: Shorts, a series of lockdown films created since Spring 2020, presented as part of Hertfordshire Year of Culture 2020. How To Live weaves stories shared by and about women from diverse backgrounds and life experiences who live in Hertfordshire. It portrays moments of lives lived often quietly but with strength, passion, endurance, humour and courage; of tragedies borne and survived; of achievements big and small often unnoticed but no less remarkable.

How to Live is written by Anna Reynolds based on stories shared by Dacorum residents. It is directed by Rosamunde Hutt, edited by Grant Watson, with music composed by Helen Chadwick.

How to Live premieres on 22 January at 12 noon at www.dacorum.gov.uk/hyoc2020.

How to Live was originally conceived during 2019 through a partnership with Dacorum Borough Council, in which Pursued by a Bear and Trestle Theatre engaged tenants from supported housing schemes in workshops. The sessions revealed a wealth of stories from the participants lives. During the pandemic, the project adapted and developed further with a call out to people living in Dacorum to send in memories about their lives, especially sharing stories about their heroines, and their own dreams and hopes. Playwright Anna Reynolds wove these stories together to create How to Live.

Councillor Julie Banks, Dacorum Member Champion for Hertfordshire Year of Culture:

'This project has been a valuable opportunity to engage our older residents creatively during the pandemic as well as celebrating their lives and stories. The film movingly tells the wonderful stories of our residents' living past and the women who influenced them, which we hope will inspire others'.

Rosamunde Hutt, Artistic Director of Pursued by a Bear and Nothing on Earth: Shorts: 'Throughout this project, it has been an honour to hear so many vivid stories shared with generosity, wit and warmth by people with such full lives and memories. I am glad that, despite the situation we have found ourselves in, we are able to pay tribute to these contributors by presenting How to Live in this way. We have been living through a period of time in which all our strength, resources and innovation continue to be tested and these Hertfordshire heroines are an inspiration. It has been a joy to work with such a great team throughout the process of creating the full Nothing on Earth: Shorts and we hope audiences enjoy seeing them in their entirety.'

The five original Nothing On Earth: Shorts were developed from themes in Nothing on Earth - Anna Reynold's full-length play for Pursued by a Bear (inspired by 2016 project/exhibition Hidden Hertfordshire Heroines), the 2020 tour of which was postponed. The films focus on the challenges, struggles and achievements of historical and contemporary women. Each story was linked to an element of flying, highlighting stories in which women soared. The spirit of these indomitable women are all brought together in this final film.

How to Live is performed by a cast which brings together actors from the previous films in the Nothing On Earth: Shorts series: Suzanne Ahmet, Nia Davies, Chanel Glasgow and Géhane Strehler, joined by Shalini Peiris.

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