A major cultural celebration marking 100 years of A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh stories is taking shape as Trigger unveils the creative team behind The Big One Hundred, alongside the launch of a design competition for local children.
Taking place this summer in Ashdown Forest, the event will centre on a giant new puppet creature inspired by the landscape and species of the Hundred Acre Wood. The creature will be created by groundbreaking artist and costume designer Jack Irving in collaboration with Trigger’s Creative Director, Angie Bual.
Irving, known for his futuristic and experimental designs, has collaborated with global artists including Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. His creation for The Big One Hundred will be operated by up to ten puppeteers at once, forming a living artwork at the heart of the centenary celebrations.
The project also welcomes Olivier Award winning theatre maker Laura Cubitt as puppetry director, and Oliver Hymans, Associate Director at Little Angel Theatre, as puppetry consultant.
Jack Irving said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be collaborating with Trigger on ‘The Big One Hundred’ project to unveil the new creature of Ashdown Forest. Working closely with the Ashdown Forest team, I’ll be immersing myself in the Forest’s extraordinary ecosystem, from its butterflies and birds to its insects and plant life, and weaving those inspirations together into a vibrant, unforgettable puppetry spectacle.”
Angie Bual added: “We’re thrilled to have Jack Irving on board as part of The Big One Hundred. His work has a rare ability to feel both spectacular and deeply playful, we can’t wait to see how his otherworldly design language responds to the imaginations of local children and the beautiful, ever-changing landscape of Ashdown Forest. We’re also very excited to also be joined by the Olivier-award-winning Puppetry Director Laura Cubitt and Puppetry Consultant Oliver Hymans to help us bring this new forest creature to life.”
Primary school-aged children across Sussex are invited to help design the new creature by submitting drawings, collages or written descriptions. The winning design will be incorporated into the final puppet, with the young designer among the first to meet it ahead of the opening weekend on 18 and 19 July.
The Big One Hundred launches on 18 July 2026 at Ashdown Forest before touring to cultural and heritage sites across Wealden during the summer holidays. Inspired by the Forest’s rare heathland environment, the project will also introduce five new themed walks spotlighting species including the Dartford Warbler, Tiger Beetle, Adder, Dormouse and Silver Studded Blue Butterfly.
More information can be found here.
