Don Quixote's Lost Cause
You’re Never Too Old To Dream
Don Quixote’s Lost Cause
Don Quixote’s Lost Cause is a participatory arts project about reinvention, creativity and the possibility of beginning again. It challenges a deeply held belief: That as we get older, our capacity to grow, create and contribute begins to fade.
We don’t believe that’s true.
This project is part of a growing conversation. About how, as we grow older, we can continue to grow into something new, not as a hobby, Not as a gentle winding down.
But as a vital, creative contribution to our communities and culture.
What we are going to do…
Bring people together through a series of creative gatherings exploring stories of change, courage and possibility. What emerges — stories, images, fragments, ideas — will live on in a growing digital space: part gallery, part archive, part open invitation.
These gatherings are also a call to arms. An invitation to step forward not as spectators, but as creators — with the confidence to explore your own voice, your own work, your own contribution.
Develop alongside this, create a body of work that will engage, inspire and contribute to a national debate and the widest possible audience. Including:
An album of original songs
A pulp-style graphic novel
A brilliant new performance experience
and so much more!
Our Mission:
To bear witness to the truth that the capacity to grow, create and change is alive in all of us, at any point in a life
This is not a new argument. Cervantes was playing with it 400 years ago.
An ageing man reads too many stories of knights and, against all advice, decides to become one. He sets out on a broken-down horse, in makeshift armour, tilting at windmills he believes are giants. To those around him, he is absurd — deluded, ridiculous, far too old to be starting such things. They try to bring him back to his senses, back to what is “reasonable,” back to his place.
But look a little closer. Because while Don Quixote may get the details wrong, he refuses something far more dangerous: a life that has quietly shrunk. And those who call him mad may simply have accepted a smaller world.
Join the Cause
This is a creative project — built from story, music and the voices of people who refuse to give up on what might still be possible.
A gathering place for those who believe it is never too late to dream — and who want to stand behind that idea.
For those living it.
For those who recognise it in others.
For those who believe our culture needs it
Add your name. Stand with the project.
We are building a visible circle of support — people who believe that it is never too late to dream, and whose voices help this idea be heard. We want hundreds to sign so that we can show those who listen that there is something important going on. So be the first!
From time to time, we’ll share what’s taking shape — and invite your thoughts, ideas and reflections.
Nothing onerous. Just a conversation. And perhaps, along the way, a reminder:
It’s not too late. Not for you either.
The Story So Far
This began about a year ago - not as a plan, but as a spark.
Since then:
Two songs written and recorded
Four more taking shape
The bones of a storyboard emerging
Now it’s starting to open out.
From something held by a few…
To something that invites many.
Too late to dream? Never.
In the misty backroads of Appalachia, Donnie Quickly runs a fading gas station and lives on a steady diet of cowboy dreams.
When he becomes convinced that his long-lost love Dolores has been kidnapped by a shadowy outlaw, he sets out - an ersatz Texas Range - to rescue her, armed with a battered Stetson, a makeshift badge, and an ageing horse named Pokeweed.
Joined (and often corrected) by the ever-practical Sancho, Donnie’s journey unfolds across truck stops, coal towns and roadside diners, where fantasy and reality blur at every turn.
Part road trip, part folk tale, and part loving satire, this modern-day Don Quixote asks a dangerous question: is the dreamer mad - or is it the world that’s forgotten how to dream?
Help us build the story.
We’re inviting spaces and communities to host workshops and gatherings as Don Quixote’s Lost Cause comes to life and partners to help us develop the project.
Performances will come later - this is where the adventure begins.
Looking ahead to Phase Two…
A flexible, small-scale touring production designed for studio theatres, village halls, libraries and community spaces.
Story-driven, music-rich, and built to connect with audiences.
Future touring will include optional workshops and post-show discussions.
A show that speaks — with warmth and humour — to midlife dreamers.
Endorsements
“Any social movement or societal change is often lead by those most affected. As a society, we hold deeply ageist beliefs about the value older people bring to society. For things to change, we need to see and be inspired by people who take the lead and this project will do exactly that.
As a community interest company supporting hundreds of people a year, we would love to see this proposal get into production.”
- Lucy Standing, co-founder, Brave Starts
bravestarts.com
“As someone working to help employers become more age-inclusive in their hiring and employment practices, I see Don Quixote’s Lost Cause as a powerful and timely cultural intervention.
Too often, older workers are overlooked or underestimated - not because of their abilities, but because of assumptions about age. This project turns that mindset on its head. By celebrating one man’s decision to keep dreaming - despite being told he’s “too old” - Don Quixote’s Lost Cause invites us all to rethink what later life can look like, both in the workplace and beyond.
Helping older people imagine new possibilities - and helping employers recognise the value of experience, ambition, and reinvention - is essential. I believe this project will play a meaningful role in that conversation.”
- Mike Mansfield, CEO Pro Age
proage.org
The Piper on the Hillside
Can you hear the call of the Piper on the hillside?
Can you hear the notes as they echo through the dawn?
What will you do as the birds singi alleluia,
circle on a breeze and up to the sky are born?
Will you weep for all the chances, you have left along the way?
Can you hear the call of the Piper on the hillside,
can you hear the notes as they echo through the dawn?
More to come…
Amplifies the message that imagination and ambition do not have an expiry date.
Creates space for reflection and conversation on ageing, identity, and resilience.
Opportunity to collaborate on public events, discussion groups, or digital storytelling.
What are others saying?
“People can have groundbreaking ideas as they get older.”
“The concept of ‘emerging playwright’ should not be confined to those under 40 — aged writers are often sidelined despite offering radical, vital new voices.”
“Past it at 40? Artists fight ‘culture of ageism’ in the art world”.
The art world often prioritises youth-focused rewards, marginalising mature voices - including women and LGBTQ+ creators. Residency rules limited artists to under 40 for decades.
theartnewspaper.com/2022/01/31/past-it-at-40-artists-fight-culture-of-ageism-in-the-art-world
“The case for ‘late bloomers’”.
Research shows composers like Janáček and painters like van Gogh produced their best work after 50, demonstrating that creative genius can flourish in later life.
We’d love to connect.
Are you a funder interested in supporting bold, community-driven creative work?
A promoter looking for something different, heartfelt, and entertaining?
An organisation championing new narratives around age and identity?
Get in touch to discuss how we can work together.
Contact info@artisan-creative.com
Steve Bonham Creative Director 07711 788248
Christopher Lydon Creative Producer 07816 996769
Artisan Creative’s previous work
Celebrating the extraordinary stories of ordinary folk.
We believe in the 'artisan values' of craft, inspiration, authenticity and the love of the raw materials.
Artisan Creative was created to provide a platform for developing distinctive books, recordings and performances.
Stumbling Over Eden and The Spirit Dog
Stories and songs celebrating the adventurer,
explorer and vagabond within us all
Based upon Steve Bonham's much-loved book of the same name, "Stumbling Over Eden" is a one-hour show that combines story and song to celebrate the adventurer, explorer and vagabond within us all.
“Another incredible evening at Leigh library for Stumbling Over Eden … Steve really brought his trek to life through extracts, funny tales and amazing songs.”
Performance fusing storytelling and music, with music workshop activities.
A beautiful true story of a mysterious dog who adopts a bunch of travellers and walks with them over two mountain ranges and a high desert plain.
Developed in 2023/2024, this project was born out of the adventure Steve Bonham had trekking from the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara desert, and the subsequent book he wrote, ‘Stumbling Over Eden’. With Arts Council England support, we developed this into a performance that toured to library and community venues in 2024 and continues into 2025.
From this overarching story and book, an idea for a children’s book came - “The Spirit Dog” - the true story of the mysterious dog who adopted Steve and his travelling companions for part of their trek. Again, with ACE support, we developed a performance/workshop that toured to library and community venues in 2024 (and into 2025), along with the creation of the children’s book itself, the illustration by Tasia Graham, and the accompanying website (thespiritdog.life) with follow up activities and the music inspired by the story.
"Witnessing the spark of imagination ignited in our students as they engaged with the story and the music was truly magical. Such an inspiring event!"
