E2: OBJECT, UNIVERSE & LIFE IN PERFORMANCE
Merlin Puppet Theatre
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SPACE SIX
Monday 8th - Tuesday 9th April 2019
10am - 5pm daily
Ages 18+ / adults
£120
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An approach to all three basic elements that contribute to making a complete visual universe - Object, Universe and Life. OBJECT - puppet, mask, shadows; UNIVERSE - scenography, light and sound; LIFE - how these elements become animate. An exploratory laboratory, which examines through analysis, practice and experimentations, how a harmonious puppetry performance is created. Through improvisations and research on stage individually and in groups, participants will work on how to develop and realise an idea, all the way from scratch to the final desirable result. See here for Merlin Puppet Theatre's show at the festival, "Noone's Land".
The 4th edition of Newcastle Puppetry Festival ran 8th-16th April 2023. Spanning 9 days at indoor and outdoor venues across the city, the 2023 programme presented shows, workshops, talks and films for adults, kids, teens and families. With many free events and ticketed shows ranging from £4 - £12 there was something for everyone. The lineup included UK premieres from Germany, France, The Netherlands and Spain. It also saw the culmination of community projects Teeny Tiny Toon and Wor Seahorse Spectacle, including a huge puppet parade in Newcastle City Centre.
2023 Festival
"It’s so fantastic to have such a diverse, creative festival in Newcastle, bringing in more visitors to our fab region"
– Audience member, 2023
Artists
Alison Duddle, Alison McGowan, Angel Exit Theatre, Bell and Bullock, Brook Tate, Cath Connolly, Duda Paiva Company, Enter Edem, Garlic Theatre, Glitzy Faces, Indigo Moon Theatre, Jesse Ward Bubbleologist, Judith Hope, Lauren Stone, Les Pieds dans la Lune Cie, Life and Limb Puppets, Long Nose Puppets, Merlin Puppet Theatre, Moving Parts Arts, Noisy Oyster, Paul Dewhurst, PuppetShip, Stephen Mottram, Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company, Swallows Wings Puppetry, Tatwood Puppets, Teatro Lafauna, Theatre Illumiere, The Barrow Band, The Object Project, The Magical Paper Theatre, The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre, Tim Davies Design, Velma Von Bon Bon, Zannie Fraser
Funders
Made possible through funding from Arts Council England, Community Foundation, Creative UK, North of Tyne, Garfield Weston, Community Fund, Hadrian Trust, The Joicey Trust, Sir James Knott Trust, Arnold Clark Community Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.
Partners and Venues
Dance City, Seven Stories, Breeze Creatives, Newcastle Arts Centre, Life and Limb Puppets, Tatwood Puppets, Ouseburn Farm, The Cluny, Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle City Library, Magic Hat, Creative Projects, Von Fox Promotions, StageText
Take a look at the 2023 brochure
The festival recipe includes free outdoor theatre with giant creatures surprising unsuspecting audiences in Newcastle’s everyday spaces, breaking down barriers so that everyone can experience puppetry. The week of events includes high quality shows for children, including a dedicated family day in the Ouseburn, but equally important the festival also boasts a programme of shows and workshops for adults – changing opinions of who puppetry is for.
Crucial to our aims and objectives, the festival includes a series of bespoke projects that get community groups and students creative and interacting with puppetry. We are passionate about participant-led work and build avenues into the festival programme that allow local residents to get directly involved. We want to incubate a community for puppetry in the North East of England and our festival is a big part of that narrative. ​Check out the two festival community projects below.
