The award-winning Beverley Puppet Festival has now opened its volunteer positions for this July’s festival, the first ‘in-puppet’ festival since 2018.
At the same time, festival directors Kerrin Tatman and Anna Ingleby have unveiled an exciting, rarely available puppetry workshop which will be running between July 10th-15th.
“We are looking for volunteers with a passion for the arts, Beverley community spirit, and delivering exceptional visitor experiences,” said volunteer manager and trainer, Bridget Coggin, who is a specialist in arts management volunteering.
“While the majority of the volunteer opportunities will be across the festival weekend, we’re keen to appoint several volunteers to join us in the two weeks before the festival in various roles to include technical theatre work, leafleting and set-up.
“We’d love to hear from people to discuss the opportunities in further detail, so anyone who is interested or wants to find out more just complete the volunteer application by June 1st www.beverleypuppetfestival.com/volunteer and spread the word for what should be a fantastic and fun-filled experience!
“After the festival we will be happy to offer references, employability advice, and signposting to jobs in the arts and culture sector.”
The festival’s new six-day Puppet Making Workshop called ‘Winged Creatures’* with Judith Hope Puppet Maker, running from July 10th-15th, will allow participants to create their own moving-winged creature puppets which they’ll be able to take away with them, said festival director Kerrin Tatman.
“From dragons to bumble bees, exotic birds to flying dinosaurs, or a being from your wildest imaginations, Judith will give a masterclass in the design and construction of your own creature puppet, with flapping wings and a moving head,” said Kerrin.
Participants will learn to translate their 2D drawings into 3D, to carve styrofoam, model fine features, shape in plastazote, and make a simple flying puppet mechanism.
Judith Hope is a London based puppet maker who creates puppets for theatre, commercials and festivals, some of which can be seen performing at this year’s festival in The Keeper’s Nests.
Other newly announced acts at this year’s festival include Jabberwocky!** by Rag and Bone and Pinocchio*** by Norwich Puppet Theatre with many more artist announcements to come.
Throughout this July’s festival there will be free outdoor acts and ticketed indoor shows including at East Riding Theatre, Beverley Friary & Gardens, Beverley Masonic Hall, Toll Gavel Church, the Minster’s Peter Harrison Room and Parkway Cinema, as well as on Beverley’s shopping streets and at the Flemingate Centre.
As an established event in Yorkshire’s cultural scene, Beverley Puppet Festival has won, and been a repeat finalist, in the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Award for ‘Remarkable Small Tourism Event’.
Funding has so far been secured from Arts Council England, Two Ridings Community Foundation and Beverley Town Council to make the event possible.
To keep up-to-date on the Beverley Puppet Festival news, see our website and our social media feeds:
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