New international collaboration supported by The British Council

Much loved family theatre company Stuff and Nonsense are set to develop a brand-new production, shaped by the imaginations of children in Shanghai, China and Bridport, Dorset, beginning in 2026.

Best known for their high-energy, comic adaptations of The Gingerbread Man, Pinocchio and The Three Little Pigs, Stuff and Nonsense have secured funding from the British Council’s Connections Through Culture (CTC) Programme to launch this innovative cross-cultural collaboration.

“We are pleased to support this collaboration between Stuff and Nonsense and Little Player Theater through our Connections Through Culture programme. By centering the voices of children from both the UK and China, this project is a clear example of how creative exchange can build meaningful international connections and mutual understanding.”

 Dom Hastings, Head of Arts, British Council China

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

www.britishcouncil.org

The CTC Programme supports artistic partnerships between the UK and the Asia-Pacific and Europe, fostering creative exchange and long-term cultural relationships.

The new project, Panda’s Big Journey, is an ambitious research and development collaboration exploring how children experience and interpret cultural differences. Inspired by the story of a giant panda—an endangered species often shared internationally as a symbol of friendship—the project will develop early ideas for a new theatre show informed directly by children’s voices in both countries.

Imagine being sent to a foreign country as a gift—a symbol of peace and goodwill—but knowing nothing of the local customs, language, or expectations. Panda’s Big Journey mirrors the real emotional and social challenges children face when encountering unfamiliar cultures. Through this lens, the project will explore themes of identity, belonging, communication, and diplomacy.

Using puppetry and physical storytelling that transcends language, the workshops will invite children to discover the perspective of the outsider — the newcomer who sees what others overlook.

“As a company we are proud of the way we make work alongside children and how their ideas sit front and centre within our storytelling. The opportunity to work with children in China and children here in the UK to create this show is going to be brilliant. We really want to understand and celebrate the cultural differences, friendship and be led by their wonderful imaginations. This is also a brilliant opportunity for knowledge and practice exchange and for us to share our creative process with Little Player Theater and for us to learn from them.”

“We are so grateful to the British Council for funding this opportunity and we cannot wait to share the outcome with you all.”

Niki McCretton – Artistic Director of Stuff and Nonsense 

Stuff and Nonsense will collaborate with Shanghai’s Little Player Theater to deliver the project in 2026. In June, the Little Player team will visit the UK and work with children in Bridport to begin the creative process that will generate ideas for the show. Artistic Director Niki McCretton and the Stuff and Nonsense team will travel to China in September 2026 working with children in Shanghai to continue developing the piece.