DOZENS of people gathered in Coleford last week to “celebrate and build upon” the shared heritage of the Forest of Dean with an exploration of the achievements of 19th century industrial pioneers Robert and David Mushet.

Local charity Wyldwood Arts hosted a two-day celebration of the Mushets last Tuesday (February 22) and Wednesday, which saw the premiere screening of a locally-produced audio drama, “dazzling” lights displays in the town centre and informative exhibitions and talks on the legacy of the Mushet family, who played a key role in the revolution of the production of iron and steel during the 19th century.

Wyldwood’s Company Producer Liz Bell described the celebration as “a wonderful couple of days” and said the team received “very positive” feedback from local people about their “eclectic” events programme.

The Wyldwood-produced audio drama ‘The Mushets’ was premiered at Studio Cinema to launch the celebrations on Tuesday, which was followed by a Q&A with cast and crew hosted by BBC journalist Jo Durrent.

Locals gathered to witness the “Spotlight on Heritage” light installation in the town centre, for which the ‘Men of Steel’ Mushet mural and Clock Tower were lit up and historical images were projected onto the surrounding buildings.

Coleford Library hosted an exhibition of museum artefacts and media related to the Mushets over the two days, and a talk from local author Dr Cherry Lewis on the contributions made by Robert Mushet to the field of geology in the early 1800s also took place at the library on Wednesday.

Local history expert Ian Standing also ran guided tours of some of Coleford’s most iconic Mushet-related landmarks over the two days.

Liz Bell, Company Producer at Wyldwood Arts, said: “The Coleford Mushet Celebration was a fantastic example of what is possible when we work together as individuals, cultural organisations and community groups to explore, celebrate and build upon our shared heritage.

“By collaborating with partners from across the Forest of Dean, we were able to create an eclectic, engaging programme that brought together a diverse range of experts, artists and local people to exchange ideas, stories and opinions.

“We were proud to bring this fantastic programme to life and are delighted that it has stimulated such an enthusiastic response - what began with our production of an audio drama based on an important piece of local history has evolved into a much wider conversation about the power of art to create, interpret and challenge mainstream narratives around legacy.

“We are always exploring new ways to inspire, empower and connect people and communities in the Forest, so I would encourage anyone interested in working with us in future to get in touch.”