Andrew Kim (artistic director, lead artist, finale director) has created and performed puppet and mask plays, parades and pageants for over 19 years with many different companies such as In the Heart of the Beast Theatre, Bread & Puppet Theater, and Horse + Bamboo. Andrew has also served as an organiser and lead artist in several outdoor community-generated events: Artistic Director of the Islewilde (Vashon, WA), Director of the Fremont Summer Solstice Pageant (Seattle), Artistic Director of the Dream Parade (Taiwan), and the Finale Director of the Liverpool Halloween Lantern Carnival. In 2006, Andrew and his partner Kathy Kim founded Thingumajig Theatre , which is now the hub of their work.
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Rebecca Dearden (organiser) Rebecca’s first arts event was the hugely successful Empty, Swept and Garnished project. She brought together nine artists, arts students, volunteers and the public for a fortnight’s exhibition and workshops in a derelict town centre office block. As well as curating more than 10 exhibitions, she has worked as a freelance consultant with the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival and in tour marketing for Thingumajig Theatre. She's also an award-winning writer and editor. See her work at www.rebeccadearden.co.uk
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Lisa Gort (lead artist and inflatable costumes instructor) has worked as an artist 15 years producing work for parades, galleries and in schools and runs her own company Cloud Factory . Lisa loves the challenge of using every day materials, making something extraordinary out of nothing, and is excited by the the buzz and strong sense of community that happens when people of all ages come together to make and create art and parades. She works with waterproof fabrics, paper, air, and uses simple techniques and technology to produce dramatic inflatable structures and costumes. Lisa specialises in installation art and creative workshops, she has also worked on many events, parades and art workshops around the UK and abroad with her old company Spacecadets. Such as Dublin St Patricks Day Parade, Manchester Streets Ahead Festival, Feast – Manchester, Milan puppet parade, Lowry Big Draw, Lighting the Ledgend - Ordsall, Liverpool Bienale, Greenwich festival, Trafalgar square opening, Glastonbury Festival.
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Kerith Ogden (lead artist, giant withies sculpture instructor) is a freelance artist who has worked around the UK and in Europe at many festivals, large-scale outdoor community events, shows and parades for the last 15 years. She has worked as artist and maker, and in design and production with companies including Action Factory Community Arts, Proper Job Theatre, Theatre Modo, and the Beltane Fire Society. She specialises in creating parade costumes and large withie structures and puppets that end up far too big to get out of the door.
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Fran Sierrevogel (lead artist) is a freelance artist working in many art forms. She has 10 years experience of working with schools and community groups, making artwork and structures for venues, parades and community events. She also designs and creates artwork for outside areas which encourages the imagination and aids natural play in children and their families. She has worked with companies such as Action Factory, Handmade Parade, Heads, BCEP, Garforth Festival, and many individual schools and family centres.
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Kathy Kim (production manager) started off her theatre career as an actor/musician, working for many small-scale touring companies, such as Forest Forge, Solent People’s Theatre and TheatreVan. Her association with Horse+Bamboo Theatre started in 1998, and she has also become a mask performer and puppeteer. She is co-director of Thingumajig Theatre .
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Gil Burns (assistant artist)
Gil has been working as a community arts practitioner for over ten years. Her main art form is dance, and she specialises in work with early years, special needs groups, hard to reach groups, youth and groups of older adults. Gil also uses arts and crafts, drama, and singing in her community workshops, and in 2011 delivered making workshops for the Handmade Parade outreach team. This year she will take on the role of assistant parade artist to develop her making skills and hopefully create some unique choreography for the parade sections.
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Anthony Cairns (assistant artist) is an actor, maker, puppeteer and musician with over twenty years of experience in theatre, film, radio, site-specific, street theatre and parades. His acting credits include roles with Manchester Library Theatre, Contact, Nottingham Playhouse, Spike, Quicksilver and Walk the Plank. Anthony is a member of the original creative team behind Cultural Industries' multi-award winning 'Shockheaded Peter'. He toured with the production throughout the UK and internationally from 1997 to 2005. More recently, his work has focused on puppetry and making. He has created puppets for Liverpool's Puppet Pool collective, Canopy and has worked extensively with Liverpool Lantern Company.
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Ellie Chaney (assistant artist)
Ellie Chaney is a freelance artist working in a variety of art forms in community settings. With a background in fine art, her passion is sharing creative experiences with people of all ages. She has worked for many arts organisations in the North West, as well as with community groups and schools across the region.
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Sonya Moorehead (assistant artist) is an experienced performer, singer/songwriter and community artist. Working with companies across the UK ignited her passion for site-specific, out door and collaborative work. She is particularly committed to see Canopy, her own theatre and events company, deliver work in beautiful, rural locations. She has had the pleasure of working with The Lowry, the BBC, Ordsall Community Arts, and Halle Education. Her parade experience is largely linked to her work with Pif-Paf on the Lighting the Legend Parade, with Ordsall Community Arts and The Fete du Noue in Jersey. As a confident maker, she primarily uses recyclable and “junk” materials in an attempt to limit the environmental impact of each project.
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Contra-Mestre Piolho (Rafael) (Capoeira instructor) started capoeira in Brazil at age of nine when he first met his capoeira Master, Chicote. They joined the famous Cordão de Ouro and after ten years, Piolho was invited to join Master Chicote in Paris. After four years living in Paris teaching children and adults, Piolho moved to Tours where he continued to develop his own group and students. Highlights of his work in Tours were founding and directing the first two editions of the international capoeira event ‘Festival Balanço na Ginga’ each of which welcomed over 100 students and teachers from France, England, Spain, Israel, Russia, Italy, Germany, the USA and Brazil. Piolho received his Contra-Mestre title in Brazil in 2012. He is known internationally for his acrobatic skill and energetic workshops and is regularly invited to teach at events throughout Europe, Israel, Russia, USA and beyond!
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Travis Downs (stilt walking instructor) has worked in the theatre industry for all his teenage years, helping kids and adults develop their skills, and working diligently behind the scenes at the Hebden Bridge Little Theatre, Hebden Bridge Light Opera, the Midgley Pace Egg, and Calder Valley Youth Theatre. His expertise made him a stand-out performer at last year's Handmade Parade and he's here to share his tricks again.
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Peadar Long (Handmade Street Band leader) is an international saxophonist/clarinettist, composer, arranger and teacher who has led many bands for theatre and community projects including: Welfare State International, Charivari, Shabang, Interplay, Same Sky, Strange Cargo, Pilot Theatre, Whitewood & Fleming, Dodgy Clutch, Happenstance, Triplicate, Emergency Exit Arts, Mikrón Theatre, Busker Du, The Peace Artistes, Blowjangles, The Luxemburg Probably Street Band, and The Northern Lights Street Orchestra.
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Mitch Oldham (Handmade Samba Brigade leader) originally from Nottingham now lives in Todmorden. He has been a professional drummer, percussionist and world music educator for nearly 20 years. Mitch plays drum kit and a wide variety of percussion instruments from Brazil, Cuba, Japan and the Middle East. He has performed, toured and recorded with artists such as Gerry and the Pacemakers, PJ Proby, Wayne Fontana, The Platters, Tony Crane (Merseybeats), Dave Dee, Brian Poole (Tremeloes) and US country and western music legends Billie Jo Spears and Stella Parton. Mitch has gigged all over the world from the Albert Hall to Las Vegas, Hawaii to Australia. His main passion is the music from what we know as Latin America with a special interest in samba from Brazil. He has performed and led street processions at the Edinburgh Festival, Notting Hill Carnival and the World Scout Jamboree. Visit: www.mitcholdham.com
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Jude Wadley (Outreach Coordinator and Outreach artist) is a freelance community artist, arts educator and project and events manager. She lives in Hebden Bridge and devises and delivers arts projects with schools, youth groups, Children's Centres, Arts organisations and all types of community groups. She has previously worked for Action Factory, HEADS, Hebden Royd Town Council, Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre, Cape UK/Creative Partnerships and helped establish the Handmade Parade.
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Sue Walpole (outreach artist) is an experienced and versatile community artist working in mixed media. She has worked with all ages in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals and museums. She regularly works for two community arts companies as well as freelance on textile, costume, mural, processional and sculptural projects. Her skills as costume and prop designer have been utilised by Walk the Plank, High Hat Theatre, Proper Job Theatre and Handmade Parade. Sue also runs recycling workshops for the Alternative Technology Centre in Hebden Bridge.
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(© photo by Nigel Hillier)
