News from Up-Front Arts Limited
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Plans Passed for New Puppet Theatre Building
NEWS
The designs for a new puppet theatre building, puppet museum and workshop areas have been approved and the company are in the process of fund raising to achieve the dream of building a specially resourced centre for puppetry. It is planned that the building will provide facilities that match puppet theatres on the continent. This will enhance the company’s own productions and enable visiting companies to visit, bringing less equipment with them. The museum will house and exhibit Upfront’s growing collection of puppets from around the world and will also host exhibitions from other puppet collections in Great Britain. The building will have front of house resources and also storage and construction workshops for the company. There will be a dedicated separate education/ performance/workshop area for practical exploration of the art and history of puppetry.
To date the company have raised £187,000 towards the project from the Rural Development programme for England and they awaite the outcome of a bit to the Arts Council of Great Britain for £90,000. If the Arts Council agree to fund the project then building can begin in March 2012. The building would be the first purpose built theatre and arts centre in Eden and the first purpose built puppet theatre in England.
About Upfront Arts
Upfront Arts Ltd. was established in 2003 as a without profit company, to promote the arts of puppetry, mask and mime, and the performing arts.
The work of Upfront Arts has been nurtured with the support of workshop space and office space provided by Upfront Gallery.
Upfront Puppet Theatre has been creating performances for the last seven years in it’s own intimate 80- seat venue. Details of these shows are archived under the puppet theatre section of this web site under “past productions”
The company was formed by John Parkinson who initially trained as a theatre designer with the English National Opera design School London, now the Motley Design School in Drury Lane. John is passionate about the art form and history of puppets of all types and included puppets in many of his mainstream theatre productions.
Upfront Arts provide workshops in schools throughout Cumbria and beyond. Annual Christmas shows are well supported by schools. The after show “meet the puppet and puppeteers” sessions are very successful. For many of the young audience members it has become one of their first experiences of a live theatre show. Schools interested in booking workshops are invited to apply for further details in the contact area of the general website.
Upfront Arts also have become the owners of a historically important collection of trick marionette puppets, made by Stan Parker of Carlisle. (www.stanparkerpuppets.co.uk) A Heritage Lottery grant was given to purchase the puppets and a yellow and white framed “circus” tent. The company have re-staged Stanelli’s Super Circus in a new setting and it appears in festivals throughout the year.
In 2008 the circus was invited to perform at an international puppet festival in Slupske in Poland and the company have been invited to return to the festival in 2012. During 2009 the company performed in Barrow at “Zircus Festival” for Kendal Arts International, Dent Folk Festival and at Skipton International Puppet Festival. In 2010 the company were invited to Mistlebach International Puppet Festival as well as doing puppet making workshops for Kendal Arts International in Penrith and performing at Carlisle Fire Show. Upfront Arts commissioned Stephen Mottram to perform his show, "The Seed Carriers" in Penrith along with a workshop exploring puppet manipulation aimed at puppeers in the north of England.
For the 2011 Skipton International Puppet Festival, the company were invited to take four days of community and school workshops in carnival puppet making for the parade, followed by two days of children's puppet making workshops during the festival.
A new independent website for Upfront Arts is under construction. This will promote all of the work and activities of the company in it's own theatre, the community and in schools.