Beverley Puppet Festival returns bigger than ever for 2020 with 'Back to Nature' theme
Wed 11th March 2020
The award-winning biennial Beverley Puppet Festival is back for 2020, from Friday 17th - Sunday 19th July, for its ninth instalment and with a theme of “Back to Nature”. Attracting some of the best puppetry and theatre acts from around the UK & Europe, locals and visitors to Beverley will have a line-up of over 40 ticketed events and many more free outdoor performances to choose from.
There will be entertainment for all ages at East Riding Theatre, Toll Gavel Methodist Church, the Masonic Hall and the Beverley Friary & Gardens, the latter being the event’s daytime hub. The Festival will have its usual colourful variety of indoor shows for all ages, including adults. The programme will include lots of free activities, such as a puppet trail and interactive outdoor acts on Beverley’s shopping streets and at the Flemingate Shopping Centre.
Founder and Artistic Co-Director, Anna Ingleby, says: “We wanted to celebrate the natural world with our 2020 theme, “Back to Nature”. We hope that the accessible and inspiring art form of puppetry will help spread positive messages about protecting our planet. Expect to discover giant creatures roaming the streets of Beverley, including majestic birds, a humongous whale and a very hungry tortoise!”
This year’s event will go ahead due to the generosity of Arts Council England and East Riding of Yorkshire Council as the main funding bodies, also with support from the Flemingate Centre. More sponsorship opportunities are still available to support some of the Festival’s outreach programme.
As part of the Festival build-up, there will be a special six-day puppet-making course run by London-based puppet maker Judith Hope. “Winged Creatures” will run from Saturday 11th - Friday 17th July and all adult participants will design and complete their own moving puppet to take away.
Volunteers are also being invited to help support the Festival over the weekend in exchange for a festival pass and food. They have been a big part of the success of the event since the first one 15 years ago. Beverley residents who would be interested in hosting artists over the weekend are also encouraged to get in touch.
More details about the line-up will be unveiled in due course. To keep up-to-date, please visit www.beverleypuppetfestival.com or check out social media pages on Facebook or Instagram @bevpuppetfest.
