Arts Council funding for Circle of Tales

Added 5th May 2011

GOOD NEWS…. PuppetCraft has been given funding by the Arts Council England for a new show called CIRCLE OF TALES.

Arts council

It is to be an African story with live music performed by top British-based African musicians.
PuppetCraft’s artistic director is spending April in Africa working with leading storyteller Gcina Mhlope to research and write a purpose-made script for the show.
The premier is on 1st October….

News round-up

Added 3rd November 2009

I can’t believe how fast this year has flashed by… it has been crammed full of running puppet workshops, making for TV and theatre, touring and reviving 2 shows.

News round up 3 News round up 2 News round up 1

3 very busy weeks of Puppet Carving Courses were run in Devon by John in a beautiful new location.

Horse and bamboo2 Horse and bamboo

Horse and Bamboo Theatre hosted a week of puppet carving in their lovely base in Lancashire…
and a week of carving was well attended in London at The Little Angel Theatre.

A TV advert had us making a Meerkat and a Businessman.

Meercat

Look at YouTube for Meerkat Puppet Theatre.

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John designed the set and carved marionettes for The Little Angel Theatre’s production of Petrushka.

SONY DSC Petrushka 2

110 performances of The Tin Forest were completed. This is PuppetCraft’s first non-verbal show, so was a challenge. It has had a great response.

Tin Forest man close
Perseus and the Gorgon’s Head has just been revived for Bath International Puppet Festival and London’s Suspense Puppet Festival… and has just completed 5 sold-out performances.

Perseus gods
A grant from The Lottery through the Arts Council England has made it possible to resurrect this show.

Selfish Giant
The Selfish Giant has just opened and will be touring all over the place for the next 8 months. We hope you meet you at a show.

Arts Council Grant for The Tin Forest!

Added 23rd March 2008

The Arts Council has awarded a grant for PuppetCraft to work on a new project.

The Tin Forest will be a show and linked workshops based on the book by Helen Ward, illustrated by Wayne Anderson, published by Templar.

Tin Forest grant
Reviewers have described The Tin Forest as “a beautiful, thought provoking, inspirational book. A fantasy and morality tale about a dream that can make a world of difference. It not only tells a good story, it might even inspire you to run out and transform the next rubbish heap you see into paradise.”

We will tour the show nationally performing 110 times.
Bookings are now being taken.

From BUNRAKU ……….towards a future theatre

Added 25th November 2007

Nori SAWA

A performance-based course with Japanese master-puppeteer Nori SAWA.

25th to 29th March 2008 at Dartington, Totnes, Devon, England.
For Puppeteers, Actors, Designers, Arists, Dancers, Musicians.
A rare opportunity to engage with the traditions of the ancient art of Japanese “Bunraku” puppet theatre…  and to bring these skills up to date and make work relevant to today’s theatre.
10 places are reserved for people living and/or working in the South West.
Grants will be given to allow 3 people from the South West to pay only £50.
Please express an interest as soon as possible, so PuppetCraft can show funders that there is a need to run this course.

A new project: The Tin Forest

Added 20th September 2007

PuppetCraft has got permission (after 2 years of trying) to adapt a book “The Tin Forest” into a show and workshop.

Tin Forest
The book is by Helen Ward, illustrated by Wayne Anderson, published by Templar.

Reviewers have described The Tin Forest as “a beautiful, thought provoking, inspirational book. A fantasy and morality tale about a dream that can make a world of difference. It not only tells a good story, it might even inspire you to run out and transform the next rubbish heap you see into paradise.”

We have applied to the Arts Council for a grant to fund this project… so we are holding our breath till we get news … towards the end of February 2008.

A major grant for new productions from the Arts Council

Added 3rd February 2005

A major grant for new productions.

The Arts Council England, South West has awarded a substantial grant to PuppetCraft to make and tour two new productions.

A team of craftsmen and women will be working for two years to bring the new shows to villages, schools, theatres and festivals throughout the South West of England.
PuppetCraft has teamed up again with playwright/poet Adrian Mitchell to write scripts for both shows.
Adrian tells stories like no other. “He is a joker, a lyrics writer, a word-spinner… a man of passion and imagination.” His work marries perfectly with the inventive possibilities of puppetry.
PuppetCraft and Adrian have worked together before with great success.

Nobody Rides The Unicorn.” A small-scale show for young audiences of 4 to 11 year olds and families. Based on the book by Adrian Mitchell.
The Unicorn is a deep-rooted British myth that has been turned into a “beautifully crafted tale of naïve, innocent good and cynical, selfish evil – a classic of modern fiction.”
The gorgeous illustrations by Stephen Lambert. in the book will form the basis of the show’s design.

Perseus and the Gorgon’s Head.” A retelling of this Greek legend, for family audiences including adults.
A large-scale puppet production: with many puppet forms, video projection and live music.