Anyone who has seen a Tall Tales show before will know that the young members of High Peak Community Arts had a whirlwind ready to bring to Buxton, and on 13th August we played two shows of Murderous Circus on 13th August to sold-out and almost-sold-out audiences.
More than 40 young people aged 8 – 16 joined the Summer School, working on the original story and script which has been written since the Easter holidays. Murderous Circus featured their songs, dance and drama, with pre-filmed clips and animations projected into the Big Top – assembled in the Buxton Community School 6th Form Dance Studio. Not everyone is born to be on stage, so some worked back stage, specialising in props and costumes – everything made from scratch from the beginning of August.
One audience member said “Where do you get the stories from? It’s kind of chaotic, but in a way that most theatre just isn’t. It’s brilliant!”
This year’s Tall Tales was part-funded by The People’s Projects which HPCA won in June 2023 in a public vote with ITV. The young people involved began working with Benn Turton on the theme of ‘Wellbeing & Nature’ in intergenerational workshops in February half term and Easter holidays. Those holiday workshop generated more than 20 different story ideas and began to weave them into one narrative. Benn returned to evening sessions in Fairfield and Gamesley to flesh out the script and get feedback from new young people who have joined the project since Easter. The group also spent evening sessions starting the music and songs with Gareth Carbery and Rizzy Stephenson, learning dance moves with Trixi Bold, making taster animations with Mark Turton and designing the poster with Andrea Joseph.
In the August Summer School they meet members from across the High Peak and put it all together into one stunning show. If you’ve ever wondered how a cat-dragon is born, or where the source of all life springs, take a look at the pics, and watch this space for video coming soon!
Another audience member (aged 3 1/2) said “Wow!”
Youth programme manager, Sophie Mackreth said “we love offering a wide range of arts to young people who are at the start of their creative journeys in life – the Summer School is designed to be inclusive of disabilities, neurodiversity and family resources, that’s why all our projects are free at the point of access. As a result the audience will hear the voice and creativity of the next generation unlike anything they’ve seen before!”
After the show a parent said “Just wanted to say thankyou to all organisers and volunteers, my daughter had a great time and we were so pleased how she spoke like she did!”
Young participant, Jess said “I’ve come because you get to do loads of stuff you haven’t done before”, and Zoe agrees “yes, it’s having new experiences”. Another participant, Orissa, who has done the project for 3 years says “It’s fun, with my friends and I enjoy the dancing – Everyone should watch because we’ve put hard work into it. The show is intriguing! So have a look and find out more!”
Sophie says, “We’re so lucky to have long-term funding from Arts Council England and The National Foundation for Youth Music which both support multiple elements of the youth programme. For the Tall Tales Summer School we also rely on local funder The Bingham Trust and the long term partnership of Buxton Community School whose staff welcome us enthusiastically each year”
It certainly was a night to remember!
Catch the Best new Bands in Buxton, this Saturday 24 Feb
On 21st August 2024 we performed to two sell-out audiences and got some amazing feedback. We also raised over £800 on the Film Cuts Club crowdfunder!
They discovered that the universe was being sucked through a black hole, and were arrested by SIRA (The Specialist Interplanetary Regulation Authority). On the prison planet they pulled together as a team and finally starting listening to their Sound Technician, who worked out how to call the Space Horses to the rescue! And don’t worry, the Black Hole has now been plugged up by a mysterious stranger using his ship to manoeuvre a ginormous space rock!
Work started in April at the Young Writers’ Camp when nearly 30 young people from across the High Peak came together for a trip to Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, inspired by the 50th anniversary of the lunar landings. 
High Peak Community Arts couldn’t provide this fantastic range of youth programme without their range of funders; from a Derbyshire Youth Action Grant for the Young Writers’ Camp to National Foundation for Youth Music, Arts Council England, local Bingham Trust and Derbyshire Councillors’ Initiative Funds have all helped fund workshops on Gamesley and Fairfield and the 6 day summer school.
‘Join the Fight’, the show created by young people in their summer school this August, held its final performance on Saturday 29th September as part of New Mills Festival.
Work started in April at the Young Writers’ Camp when nearly 30 young people from across the High Peak came together for a trip to the People’s History Museum in Manchester. In two following days they wrote characters inspired by the centenary of some women winning the vote and other campaigns they found in the museum.
Gamesley in Glossop and Fairfield in Buxton and signed up for our August summer school. Over 7 days nearly 40 young people aged 8 – 18 came together to turn the early ideas into a performing arts show and created “Join the Fight” – a performance trail for New Mills Festival 2018. The final show includes music, drama, dance and film set in different locations in New Mills and starting from High Lee Hall in the park on St Mary’s Road. For the first time our older participants have created all the work in one venue, which is suitable for an audience age 13+ and presents a young view of gender and sexuality issues. However, skipping that venue, there is still plenty for a family audience!
High Peak Community Arts couldn’t provide this fantastic range of youth programme without their range of funders; from Santander Discovery Fund for the Young Writers’ Camp to National Foundation for Youth Music, local Bingham Trust and Derbyshire Councillors’ Initiative Funds for workshops on the estates and our recent grant from Arts Council England joined by One Stop Carriers for Causes and Tesco Bags of Help funding for the summer school.
We are excited to announce that we have received the backing of the National Foundation for Youth Music with a 3 year grant which will bring musical activity to schools and community spaces across the High Peak.
Our schools programme has been running since 2015 with funding from the National Foundation for Youth Music matched by Derbyshire Music Education Hub and contributions from the schools.
Each year we launch with a trip to Manchester to work at Band on the Wall for the day, where the young people work with their technician on the sound and lighting desk and with professional musicians with different backgrounds. In the sessions that followed the young people work with Lucy LeClaire, Eskay and G-kut to learn new skills, such as programming music on software such as Garageband, Logic and Ableton Live; writing lyrics about their lives, and using this to talk about ‘life in general’ in an open way; Researching their musical influences and art and design used by recording artists; and instrumental skills. They also gain in self confidence and dialogue with staff and teachers who see them achieving and working together. Since 2015 64 young people have gained an Arts Award from Trinity College London at Bronze or Explore level.
