HIDDEN stories of 'forgotten heroes' from the region are revealed in a series of plays by a Bradford writer.

Daniel Foulds, a learning disabled artist, was told he would never be able to write anything very well - now he has created three plays for outdoor performances this summer.

The Hidden History project brings to life true stories of people who made a difference. The plays will be performed as walkabout shows to audiences of 12-15 people, moving around venues including Bradford's Bolling Hall and Piece Hall, Halifax.

Bradford - A Hidden History, taking place at Bolling Hall, tells the stories of a servant determined to change the fate of Bradford by summoning a ghost, an apothecary angry at the rejection of his remedy for a dying patient and a young woman who must stand up for what she knows to be right.

Edgar - A Hidden Life is performed at Elsecar, a conservation village within former ironworks and colliery workshops of the Earl Fitzwilliam. After half a century in silence, hidden away in an asylum, Edgar Bower wants to return to his beloved home. Edgar is a play about secrets and shame, poverty and prejudice, and the sustaining power of love.

The final play, Deeds Not Words, is about Halifax-born Laura Annie Willson, twice imprisoned in 1907 for her actions supporting women’s suffrage. During her campaigning she encountered violence and threats and declared: "If they could sentence me for thinking, I’d have been sentenced for life." Deeds Not Words is the story of this remarkable woman - mill girl, agitator, engineer, innovator, house-builder and MBE.

Daniel is a learning-disabled artist, writer, researcher and actor and an associate artist for Mind the Gap, England's leading learning disability performance and live arts company, based at Lister Mills in Manningham. He has written the three scripts with playwright Mary Cooper and will direct the Bradford production with support from Madeleine O'Reilly, who is directing the two shows at Elsecar and Halifax.

“I am very excited that Hidden History is finally happening at three unique Yorkshire venues," said Daniel. "I can't wait to see how people react to the plays, I hope to demonstrate that history is interesting and relevant.

"I love writing. The printed page has always been a great inspiration for me ever since I was able to lift a pen. Originally, I was told that because of my disability I would never be able to write very well, which made me even more determined to succeed. Through hard work and practice, I started to write short stories and progressed to poetry, then feature-length novels and now scriptwriting."

The Hidden History project is supported by Mind the Gap and has been postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic.

* Bradford - A Hidden History is at Bolling Hall on July 3 and 4, at 11am, 1.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm.

Edgar - A Hidden Life is at Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley, on July 10 and 11 at 11am, 1.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm.

Deeds Not Words is at Piece Hall on July 17 at 11am, 2pm and 3.30pm and July 18 at 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm and 5pm.

Each performance is about 30 minutes. For tickets go to eventbrite.co.uk/e/bradford-hidden-history-tickets.

For more on the plays visit danieljfoulds.com