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High Peak Community Arts

Community Arts in the High Peak

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Murderous Circus – brought the house down!

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!”

Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.
Murderous Circus performed by Tall Tales. Produced by High Peak Community Arts.

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!

 

Hidden Depths revealed!

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!

A massive congratulations on a fantastic show to all the 33 young people and 5 young volunteers who performed or supported backstage in #HiddenDepths (and the 7 who were filmed or recorded in summer school, but on holiday for the performance day) – And to the lead artists and support team who made it all happen!

The pictures and video show what a great time was had by all  – and we got some brilliant audience feedback for the Jellyfish Jiggles; the Groovy Crabs; the fight between good and evil and professional performances by our brilliant High Peak young people!

Here’s what it looked like:

HiddenDepths20230821_3587

HiddenDepths20230821_3587
Image 1 of 210

Hidden Depths performed by the High Peak Community Arts group in the Glossop Methodist Church.

*Photography by Adrian Lambert, Glossop

 

A perfect show!

We had a fantastic show. Aunty’s Antidote went down a storm in Buxton, with 25 young people involved on the night – on stage, in the band or working backstage. A huge thank you and well done! to them and the other 35 young people who contributed to everything that went into the show.

Here are a selection of our favourite pics from the performance!

 

Read more about the show and rehearsals here.

Tall Tales Summer School & Tickets.

Everything set for our 9th annual summer school!

Get your tickets here!

It feels good to be planning a full live public performance again, after two years of producing films and broadcasts.   Starting on Monday 1st August, we will be at Buxton Community School four days a week for two weeks, where the young people will form bands, devise dance and drama, write songs and scripts and shoot pre-filmed sections.  We have Leo & Hyde with us once again, bringing some VR art into the mix, joining our regular artist team of Andrea, Benn, Gareth, Lucy, Lydia, Mark and Trixi.   We have record numbers of young people signed up from Glossop, New Mills, Whaley Bridge and Buxton (and Ukraine), and young workers and volunteers from previous summer schools coming to help, so it promises to be a melting pot of creativity!

At Easter we began with a theme of ‘My Orbit’, and carried on working in Gamesley and Fairfield in tea time sessions from May to July.  Ideas from our participants so far have led us to a framework story about the lengths we will go to care for our nearest and dearest, how to look further afield and extend a welcome to those who enter ‘our orbit’.

By the end of the two weeks we will be ready (?!) to present ‘Aunty’s Antidote’ on Monday 15th August, at St Anne’s Parish Centre, Hardwick Square West in Buxton.  There will be two shows (6.30 & 7.30), and tickets (£5 and £3 concessions) are available from ourselves, or Eventbrite.

The record numbers of participants and extra-long summer school is thanks to government Holiday Activity Fund income which joins our grant from The National Foundation for Youth Music and contributions from The Bingham Trust, Derbyshire Music Education Hub and Waitrose. 

Tall Tales!

Explore your creative ambitions!

We are pleased to announce that our youth music and creative arts sessions are returning for another season in Fairfield and Gamesley.  Anyone aged 8+ is welcome to come along and try playing in a band, writing and performing songs and making art, animations and stories.

These sessions are a lovely way to meet new young people who might not yet know where their creative passions lie – People can try a wide range of things and if they enjoy it, they can sign up for our Summer School.  Sessions start with toast and squash, and activities are run by professional artists and musicians who specialise in collaborating with young people to create new original work from the ideas the group bring.

Sessions run from 3.30 – 5.30 on Mondays in Fairfield Community Centre (St.Nick’s) and Wednesdays at Gamesley Community Centre, from Monday 9th May through to the end of term (see our Calendar!).  The Summer School will be in the first two weeks of August (dates tbc) when young people from both areas will work together to produce a public performance to share.  Not everyone wants to be centre stage, so again there are lots of options, from being in the band, to making the costumes and props and helping backstage.

For more information contact Sophie on 01663 744516 or sophie@highpeakarts.org.

Summer School 2021

The making of Beacons!

Summer School 2021 has been a whirl-wind and we look forward to the Junction Arts’ broadcast of Our Place on 29th September – it’s been a fantastic opportunity to link up with 6 other Arts Organisations and share what is special in the East Midlands.

Here are a few glimpses into our ‘bubbled-up’ summer school where no-one was allowed to chat in the kitchen!  We look forward to a more mixed-up experience next year!

Here’s a couple of animation sets which you’ll recognise in the final videos!

Here’s an insight into the story design process – fantastic work from Thomas and Archie!
 

A special feature this year courtesy of #OurPlace2021 with Junction Arts – Virtual Reality art! Young people transported into their own world to paint in 3D. This work will feature in a landscape original by VR artist, Kayleigh Eliza. The whole Our Place project will be showcased online on 29th September.


And there’s always music! This year we will be at the New Mills Youth Festival on 29th August playing our mixed up set!

 

In the last 2 weeks around 10 young people have learned to use a sewing machine – these two sewed the trousers for their prisoners in their film…

 

And so we reach the end of Tall Tales Summer School 2021! It’s been more than a little manic, with no time for posting socials… so we hope you like these few pics to give a flavour: The Party Bus Bubble have all got involved in creating a dance piece – designed as dance for film.


 And here are the full final films to enjoy with some popcorn!

Part 1:

 

Part 2:

 

Part 3:

 

Face to Face in the time of Covid

We are happy to be back to running activity face to face.  Online workshops were no good substitute for being together.

This page has information about how we are keeping our face-to-face activity as safe as possible and managing the risks of transmitting Covid-19 within the group(s).

If you are about to come to Tall Tales Summer School 2021, please watch this video:

 

 

 

If you would like to know more detail on our risk assessment you can download it here.

Click here to  down “2021 summer school face-to-face Risk Assessment”

Youth programme Artist Call Out!

Deadline: 4th June – but get in touch if you need the weekend to finish a proposal, as we won’t process the applications until Monday morning!

We are excited to announce another artist call out, to be part of Junction Arts project ‘Our Place’, bringing together work from 7 communities in the East Midlands – made possible by public funding from the National Lottery, through Arts Council England.

Click here for the Commission Brief.

Click here for the application cover sheet.

Click here for the diversity monitoring form (will not be connected to your application).

High Peak Community Arts are lucky to be one of the 7 organisations taking part in Our Place (full description on the commission brief above) and we are seeking an inspirational artist to join the established artist team of our Tall Tales – music and performing arts project. 

This brief is for an artist to work with a small group and the existing artist team to interpret an element of participants’ ideas in a new artform, producing work which can be both presented live and filmed.  Full details of the theme on the commission brief above.

We are open to any new artistic influence, but imagine we are looking for a visual result to combine with the other artforms already being used – are we looking for pyrotechnics?  A light show?  An installation?  Something to combine with a soundscape?

A High Peak consortium are applying to the Community Renewal Fund, so there is also the possibility this work could be expanded to travel to other towns after its appearance in Our Place.  If successful, this would give an additional budget of around £20,000.

Please get in touch if you need more information – details on the commission brief above!

Flex your creativity this summer

 

We will post instructions on here at least once a week.  To get notifications you can sign up for our newsletter or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
 

If you would like to join the project as a full member you should email sophie@highpeakarts.org and she will get in touch.  Click here for sign up info.

Here is our second call out – You can be a dancer in the virtual show (“Just in Time – Part 2 ‘The Museum of 2020′”), being broadcast on Saturday 28th August.  You can also help Georgia get her Gold Arts Award! 

Before you film it, think about a good location to do it in – a local landmark would be great, or your garden – or any space that you think needs a robot!  When you’ve got a film get in touch with sophie@highpeakarts.org, or direct message us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/HighPeakComArts).

Here is the first call out for material – Please help us collect sounds for the show!

 

Here is a full list of the sound themes we are working on:

* Bad weather (Tornadoes / storms)
* General Dystopia (a bad world)
* General Utopia (a good world)
* Timetravel, i.e. the sound of travelling through time
* Homelessness
* Working from home
* Animal rights
* Climate change (the sound of global warming, the sound of stopping global warming)
* Protest (People shouting – screams etc)

Get in touch with Sophie via sophie@highpeakarts.org when you have sounds to share!

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Help to Support Our Projects

Help to Support Our Projects

Project Calendar

Jun
2
Mon
4:00 pm Tall Tales @ Fairfield
Tall Tales @ Fairfield
Jun 2 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
 
Jun
3
Tue
10:45 am Space to Explore @ St Matthew’s Village Hall
Space to Explore @ St Matthew’s Village Hall
Jun 3 @ 10:45 am – 1:15 pm
Adult creative arts session to explore neurodivergence. For more info please click here!
Jun
4
Wed
3:00 pm Tall Tales @ Gamesley
Tall Tales @ Gamesley
Jun 4 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
 
Jun
7
Sat
11:00 am Film Cuts Club @ The Vineyard
Film Cuts Club @ The Vineyard
Jun 7 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Filmmaking club for young people with additional needs. Click here for more info and how to join!
Jun
9
Mon
4:00 pm Tall Tales @ Fairfield
Tall Tales @ Fairfield
Jun 9 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
 
Jun
10
Tue
10:45 am Space to Explore @ St Matthew’s Village Hall
Space to Explore @ St Matthew’s Village Hall
Jun 10 @ 10:45 am – 1:15 pm
Adult creative arts session to explore neurodivergence. For more info please click here!
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High Peak Community Arts

High Peak Community Arts

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From Idea to Stage! 🎨🎭 Earlier this spring, our talented young creatives began dreaming up and sketching the first pieces of an all-new production. In

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