Beverley Arts Trust would like to invite as many people as possible to a FREE and FUN evening to celebrate Beverley Puppet Festival. This biennial Festival, last held in July 2012 has for the first time, thanks to film director Havi Ibrahim, been able to produce a 48 minute documentary film.
On Friday 19th April at 8pm the world premiere of this film is taking place at Beverley Friary YHA, (off Eastgate, set back opposite Beverley Minster) in the Great Hall.
In 2012 the biggest ever Beverley Puppet Festival featured 23 companies, 22 ticketed events including Workshops – and 45 free Outdoor Performances which packed the Friary Gardens, with 14 more taking place in the Town Centre. Evening adult shows increased from 3 to 5 and most sold out.
Inadvertently this festival became the largest Festival of British Puppetry in the World, with 75% ticket sales in 2012, and 32% of the audience having travelled over 21 miles to attend. Footfall for Beverley Puppet Festival 2012 was 4311, consisting of 1381 from ticketed attendance and an estimated 2930 at outdoor performances in the Town centre or Friary Gardens.
The Festival has always programmed the broadest most diverse range of puppetry possible, for all age ranges from young toddlers to teens and adults. This has been to broaden the creative horizons of both the local/ regional or visiting population and for Puppeteers too. It is rare for Puppeteers or programmers to see so many professional companies in one place on the same weekend.
It has now become a national showcase for puppetry – but also a colourful influx of talent to the town drawing in both locals and people from far away. Many have commented on having never seen such performances until this Festival existed. It also fills a major gap in the market. All of this contributed to the Festival becoming a finalist in the Visit Hull and East Yorkshire Remarkable Tourism Awards, under the category of “Remarkable Tourism Experience / Event”.
The future of the Beverley Puppet Festival in 2014 is not certain and will remain dependent on funding decisions (up to now funded by Arts Council England, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Beverley Town Council). It is very much in need of additional administrative support – and Beverley Arts Trust hope they can live up to People’s Expectations. In the meantime they wish to celebrate what the Beverley Puppet Festival has become.
BAT would like to encourage everyone to come along and join them for the film screening – an excellent feel-good film, ideal for bringing back happy memories, or for anyone who missed the Festival, or just a little bit curious about Puppetry…. and what all the fuss is about!
Entry at the Friary is FREE, and a repeat screening will take place at 9pm if the maximum number of 50 is reached at 8pm in the Great Hall. Refreshments and doors open from 7pm, Friday April 19th. Further info: 07855 328552.
