Newcastle Families Urged to Get Creative This Easter with Free Puppetry Events
Newcastle locals are invited to get swept up in puppet fever in a weekend of free events as part of a long-awaited returning arts festival.
Residents and visitors will be able to enjoy a series of spectacular performances this Easter break, beginning with a weekend of free festivities across the city centre and Ouseburn.
On Saturday 8 April, Northumberland Street will become a playground of puppetry with performances including Beasts on the Street and Wor Seahorse Spectacle.
Completely free to attend, Beasts on the Street will see a menagerie of crafted creatures descend on the city centre from 11am, including performances from Theatre Illumiere, Tatwood Puppets and Tim Davies.
In addition, the Wor Seahorse Spectacle parade at 2pm will mix 120 participants, giant puppets and music to shine a bright and colourful light on Newcastle’s maritime heritage, Roman mythology and good old fashioned Geordie pride.
On Sunday 9 April the creative fun continues with a Free Family Puppet Day at Ouseburn Farm.
From 11am to 4pm, visitors will be able to enjoy outdoor theatre performances as well as bubble play, magic, music and face-painting for all ages, with performances and activities by Bell & Bullock, Enter Edem, Glitzy Faces, Jesse Ward Bubbleologist, Judith Hope, Paul Dewhurst, Theatre Illumiere, Tim Davies & The Barrow Band.
Running from 8 to 16 April 2023, the Newcastle Puppetry Festival is set to celebrate its first full-scale return since the pandemic.
Produced by Moving Parts Arts CIO, the festival will feature a wide range of free and ticketed puppetry events, workshops and performances at venues across the city.
A series of performances, workshops and exhibitions will take place throughout the festival on Northumberland Street and in Newcastle Arts Centre on Westgate Road, as well as in and around Dance City on Temple Street and in the Ouseburn Valley at The Cluny, Seven Stories and Ouseburn Farm.
The festival attracts 10,000 people each year, including local residents, people and families from around the region and puppetry enthusiasts from all corners of the world. The 2019 festival welcomed puppetry enthusiasts from five continents.
Moving Parts Arts artistic director and co-founder, Kerrin Tatman, commented: “After such a difficult period for live events, we are so excited to be back and bigger than ever for our 4th edition of the festival.
“We’ve tried our best to include something for everyone this year. Puppetry is not just for children and there are lots of adult shows and workshops on offer, as well as for kids and families.”
To learn more about Newcastle Puppetry Festival, find out about free events or buy tickets to paid events, go to https://www.movingpartsarts.com/2023festival.
Image: JOE 5 Duda Paiva Company © Studio Matusiak
