Anders Lustgarten

MSL’s Beach of Dreams 2025

Anders Lustgarten has been commissioned to create a contemporary Canterbury Tales for the South East. MSL is southeast lead partner and creative agency for the national Beach of Dreams 2025 festival; a journey through the diverse landscapes and rich histories of our coastal regions. Our focus is the 30 mile stretch of coastline from Dungeness to Bulverhythe, writes MSL’s Kate Hodges. Celebrations begin on the eve of Thursday 29 May in Hythe, culminating in a twilight finale in Bulverhythe on Sunday 1 June.

Whether you’re a walker, a lover of the arts or nature, or simply curious, there’s something for you in the Beach of Dreams.

Alongside plans for a raft of stunning live events, MSL has commissioned Hastings writer, Anders Lustgarten – described in the British press as ‘our most exciting political playwright’ – to create a suite of contemporary pilgrims’ tales about our coastal story: the tensions, contradictions and choices that have to be made.

MSL Director, Margaret Sheehy says. “Our contemporary tales will animate real voices past, present and future along the unique stretch of coast from Dungeness in Kent to Bulverhythe in East Sussex. They are for everyone – come walk with us”.

The resulting new work will be performed for thousands of regional residents and visitors of all ages. There will be a character with whom everyone identifies and who intrigues them.

Performances will take place along the route and in pubs, on beaches, cliffs and by wrecks in Hythe, Rye, Hastings and Bulverhythe.

Finally, the works will be published – either in print or as film for audiences worldwide to enjoy in perpetuity.

Find out more here

And… Walk with us!

About MSL

MSL Projects celebrates individual creativity, community and place. It creates performances, exhibitions and installations that engage and inspire people, and transform communities. MSL has developed a preliminary programme of Beach of Dreams activity in 2024, inspiring 30+ potential partners, raising awareness. It will culminate in a 3-day walking and events programme.

About Kinetika

Kinetika, a charity and a National Portfolio organisation of Arts Council England, unites communities through exceptional silk-based designs and public spectacles that inspire social action and enrich local environments. Their methods engage and empower diverse communities, enhance social cohesion and foster a sense of pride and belonging.

About Anders Lustgarten

Hastings based Anders Lustgarten has been described as ‘our most exciting political playwright’. He has recently published his first novel Three Burials and is working on his second, which has been optioned for film. His play Lampedusa (2015), a definitive story of the refugee crisis,  has been performed in forty countries. He won the Catherine Johnson Award for A Day at the Racists and won the Harold Pinter Playwriting Award for If You Don’t Let Us Dream, We Won’t Let You Sleep. Prior to becoming a writer, Anders was an international 400-metre runner and activist.

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