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The Witch Hare
Project
The Witch Hare project is an ongoing exploration of Sussex folklore, working with storytellers and artists from across the UK to witness and work with legends of witches, shifters and wild ones.
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From September 2024 - January 2025, StoryCommons ran collective story sessions in Ditchling and Litlington to explore Sussex witch hare stories in context and conversation with hare legends from across the British Isles.
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We were joined by an incredible group of storytellers, including Emily Hanna-Grazebrook, Abbie Simmonds, Amelia Ace Armande, Sophie Gibson, Fleur Shorthouse Hemmings, Serena Mitchell, Heidi McNie, Stacia Keogh and Deb Winter, all of whom guided us into the wild and wonderful world of hare-lore.
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We were also joined by director, author and founder of Different Theatre Sam Chittenden, who, in Litlington Village Hall, shared with us a performance of her play 'Sary', a witch hare story set in Cuckmere Haven.
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Photo courtesy of Sam Chittenden
In response to the stories, writings and conversations, we made art and ritual. You can read more about our adventures here.
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Artworks by Emma Moreton, Janelle Rakow, Sophie Gibson, Fleur Hemmings & Marina Evans. Poetry by Joanna Gilar and the collective.
The Witch Hare project continues to evolve,
in 2025 giving birth to a storytelling performance on and around the Ditchling Witch Hare, which has been shared in collaboration and conversation with Seed Talks, Treadwells Bookshop and Guesthouse storytellers. The story has also been shared in the deeply magical context of sculptor Eve Shepherd's Witching Circle.
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If you'd like to speak to us about the project, do get in touch. We continue to explore ways in which female and queer voices can come together to breathe new moments into forgotten stories, and celebrate the power of wild porosity and living flow.
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What do people say?
Some testimonials from StoryCommons events.
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"It was an absolutely wonderful dive into stories."
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"Beautifully guided and held, I really appreciated the movement and breath work integrated throughout."
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"There was a real sense of supportive group cohesion - a strong sense of community."
"The way that Jo holds groups with spaciousness and generosity makes every session a joy to be part of. I feel supported to bring of myself in a way that is both expansive and nurturing."
"A delightfully creative, feeling space in which to explore fairy tales, inviting an embodied response that allowed the stories to circulate amongst us in unexpected and revealing ways."
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"I loved just how alive the stories were in the space - and in the spaces in-between."
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