city of kittiwakes
City of Kittiwakes was a heritage, arts and environmentally-focused participatory project as part of Newcastle Puppetry Festival 2024. Two weeks of free-to-access community workshops at the John Marley Centre in Scotswood culminated in a parade to 5,000 people on Northumberland Street to open the 5th edition of the festival.
The project involved over 200 North East of England residents to create the puppets, costumes and art pieces in the parade, alongside a team of professional artists. The project was inspired by iconic seabird the kittiwake, which nests under the Tyne Bridge - the largest inland colony of kittiwakes in the world. The kittiwake represents migration, sanctuary and is a symbol of North East England's diverse fauna and natural environments.
Participants wrote phrases inspired by the kittiwake, which were integrated as feathers on the giant kittiwake puppet. Some of these phrases were also turned into the banners in the parade. Composer Jayne Dent / Me Lost Me worked with West End Refugee Service members to write a new folk song inspired by the kittiwake - you can hear some of this new song 'Still Bright Bird' in the soundtrack to this video.
Following the parade, some of the puppets, costumes and art pieces were displayed at the Great North Museum: Hancock for two weeks. The project also facilitated four Guided Heritage Walks on the Quayside with historian David Silk, and five conservation workshops and events with Wild Intrigue and Natural History Society of Northumbria.
"Throughout the workshops I learnt new skills, connected with local history and heritage, and by the time the parade arrived, we were all one community working together."
– 2023 parade participant
City of Kittiwakes Summary Video:
Project Credits
Concept / Direction: Kerrin Tatwood
Engagement Lead: Vicky Tate
Producers: Kerrin Tatwood, Becky Pereira, JonJoe Clennell
Production Manager: Louise Gregory
Heritage Lead: David Silk
Folksong Lead & Composer: Jayne Dent
Lead Artists: Alison Duddle, Chloe Rodham, Jo Feijó, Judith Hope, Rosie Bristow, Will Steele
Assistant Artists: Bronwyn Riani, Ellie Phillips, Mark Rogerson
Visual Evaluator and Illustrator: Becky Musgrove
Videography / Photography: Von Fox Promotions
And a HUGE thank you to all of the individual participants and community groups who made the project possible!
Community groups/partners included:
Arcadea Disability Arts, Children North East, Elders Council, Friends Action North East, Healthworks, Herb Hub UK, Learning for Life, Leamington Scouts, Newcastle Circus Arts, Newcastle College, Percey Hedley, The Bangshees, The Story Tellers Street Band, West End Refugee Service
A big thank you to the Great North Museum: Hancock for hosting the exhibition!
PUPPETS IN THE PRESS!
Click the button to check out the BBC Newcastle feature on the City of Kittiwakes project and parade!
"The parade was fantastic and it was just such a joyful and inviting atmosphere. We all need to remind ourselves more often of things like play, fun, community and this was a great invitation to do so - a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the worries, fears and stress of these times. Thanks for organising such a great festival in Newcastle, it's definitely something to be proud of for residents!"
– 2024 parade participant
City of Kittiwakes Gallery
A huge thank you to our funders and partners for making City of Kittiwakes possible!
