School In The Yorkshire Dales Learns From Major Touring Puppetry Company

by Liz Seyi Digital marketing manager

Here at Puppets By Post, we’re well aware of the vital role that professional puppeteers play in keeping the art of puppetry alive – indeed, many of them are customers of ours, alongside enthusiasts, parents and teachers.

On the subject of teachers, in fact, a Yorkshire Dales school recently hit the headlines for some of the best possible reasons, as it welcomed the visit of a touring puppet company that has appeared at festivals across the continent.

An exciting and enlightening experience for teachers and pupils alike

As reported by the Darlington & Stockton Times, Lempen Puppet Theatre Company recently helped 14 children from Hawes Primary School to create puppets from scratch and build a performance around them.

The after-school workshops ran during May and June, and gave the schoolchildren the opportunity to learn how to make puppets from everyday materials such as milk bottles, cardboard and fabric off-cuts.

Liz and Daniel Lempen, who oversaw the workshops, also taught the pupils to develop character, animate their puppet and discover its ‘special talent’.

The pupils’ efforts served as preparation for a performance at The NASH in Hawes, where they partook in a puppet talent show, with family, friends, teachers and members of the wider community in the audience.

A specially painted theatre stage was used for the children’s performance, complete with black-out and full tech including lights, music and sound effects.

“This is what arts opportunities can ignite”

The project was coordinated by The NASH’s Emily Rowe Rawlence, who commented: “We wanted to expose children of the local area to new art forms and give them a chance to work with professional and innovative artists.

“It was amazing to see what creativity was unleashed, and so fast.”

She continued: “The children have been so enthusiastic and excited throughout, and so pleased with the quality of their creations – this is what arts opportunities can ignite.”

Lempen Puppet Theatre Company, which regularly takes its original shows to festivals around Europe, took the opportunity to return the favour for the children of Hawes School during the same week as the talent show, performing its show Cardboard Carnival in The NASH.

Meanwhile, funding was provided for the project by Stronger Communities, the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Roger Stott Community Grants Programme, and the Upper Dales Area Partnership.

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