Midlands-based theatre company Stan’s Cafe are on the hunt for stories and memories of life along the banks of the River Avon for a new project.
River Tours: The Avon is the latest instalment of Stan’s Cafe’s ongoing River Tours project, which has previously visited The Thames, The Lune, The Indus, The Severn and the Volga.
Working closely with communities and groups across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, the project team is currently collecting stories which will inform a series of performances of River Tours: The Avon in August 2026 along the river – from Stratford-upon-Avon, south west towards Evesham and beyond. The project is supported by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and the community groups they work with. It’s also supported by Live & Local.
Rivers hold an important place in our lives. They’re sources of life and growth, offer peaceful sanctuary in troubled times, stimulate stories, fuel industry and employment, and more.
Craig Stephens, Associate Director, Stan’s Cafe, said: “River Tours: The Avon explores the importance of the River Avon to the people who live alongside it, walk its banks, boat or fish on it or simply enjoy sitting by it.
“In a 50 minute long poetic performance, illustrated by a beautiful textile map, the show takes you on a journey – which explores how the river and its history has not only shaped the landscape, but also the lives of the people around it. It has inspired writers and artists from William Shakespeare to JMW Turner. Great battles have been fought along its length, its water has powered mills and turbines and its floods have caused devastation.
“But the Avon is also a river of beauty and tranquillity, home to a host of wildlife and a space for people to take a moment to breathe and relax.
“While some stretches have seen huge changes over the years, reflecting innovations in industry and farming, many parts appear much as they have for centuries, offering views that would have been seen by our ancestors.
“If you have a personal story about the Avon you’d like to share, we would love to hear it. Perhaps you worked in a town or village along its route, or swam in its waters or visited on a day out?”
Anyone with a story to tell about the river is encouraged to email the River Tours: Avon team (before Sunday 29 March 2026) via: rivers@stanscafe.co.uk
Stan’s Cafe River Tours: The Avon visits Warwickshire and Worcestershire during August 2026, in partnership with the RSC and Live & Local. Dates and venues to be announced soon. For more details, see: https://stans.cafe
ABOUT STAN’S CAFE’S RIVER TOURS
“What makes a river special is what happens on it, along it and in it.”
A documentary storytelling series with rivers as it subject. Nothing could be simpler. Stan’s Cafe commission textile ribbon maps that identify the positions of all bridges, dams, major settlements and confluences. These maps are then used to illustrate guided tours that cover thousands of years of history, beautiful natural history, famous sights and fascinating facts.
The tours are performed in an engaging, friendly style with wit and energy to a live audience.
Previous tours have included The Thames, The Lune, The Indus and The Severn, while international editions of the project are also in development, including The Daugava, in Latvia, and Africa’s third longest river, The Niger.
River Tours: The Avon runs from Monday 3 to Sunday 22 August 2026 at key stop-offs within Warwickshire and Worcestershire (exact venues/dates to be announced).
For more details, see: https://stans.cafe/project/project-river-tours/
ABOUT STAN’S CAFE
Stan’s Cafe is an internationally recognised theatre company and charity, founded in 1991 and based in Birmingham. They make ambitious, collaborative performances for theatres, galleries, public spaces and schools across the UK and around the world.
Their work has been seen by millions online and has multiple won awards for its social impact, but their core principle remains unchanged: they love inspiring and entertaining people with original and playful art.
Web: stans.cafe
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Facebook: facebook.com/stanscafetheatre/
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ABOUT THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a leading global theatre company that sparks local, national and international conversations that build connections, create opportunities and bring joy.
We passionately believe that great storytelling can change the world, and that theatre offers its own unique form of storytelling: it’s live and shared, and transforms a group of strangers into audiences who, together, experience a story come to life in front of their eyes.
We collaborate with the most exciting artists to tell the stories of our time, and through a range of programmes we nurture the talent of the future.
We perform on three stages in our home in Stratford-upon-Avon, in London and in communities and schools across the country and around the world.
Our transformative Creative Learning and Engagement programmes reach over half a million young people each year.
ABOUT LIVE & LOCAL
Live & Local is a not-for-profit arts organisation working with a network of voluntary groups across Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. The organisation provides a range of support for high quality professional arts activities that keep people in touch with their communities and enhance their quality of life. They are an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and also receive support from County, District and Borough Councils in the areas where they work.
For more details, see: www.liveandlocal.org.uk
ABOUT THE RIVER AVON
For more information about the river, including it’s route and history, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Avon,_Warwickshire