I worked with children from three primary schools, and Cathedral choristers to design and make the animal masks to join Noah and his family on board the ark. Each group also enjoyed workshops in drama led by Bryony Bell from the Bridgewater Hall Learning Department.

In total, there were 56 pairs of animals. Each of these had to had to be different, a challenge as there were a variety of brown rodents and a host of types of black bird. I got them to work in their pairs so that a common feel could be achieved. They looked at the size and shape of their animals ears, eyes & nose/beak. They looked at colour and texture. They drew full size designs for their masks. This gave them an opportunity to work out what they need to do and for me to see how much they had really observed. There was a lot of coaxing to encourage them to go bigger with ears and beaks.

Next, they were given paper pulp masks as a base. I chose these as they are light & fit well for performing in, they are easy to cut for reshaping the eyes & removing the chins so they could sing and you don’t need special glue or paint. They transfered their designs onto the masks in pencil before reshaping and building up using card, egg-boxes, tubes, cones and tissue paper to create animal faces.

In the second session, they reinforced the structure of the masks and covered them using a mosaic of fabric attached with PVA. I chose to use fabric to give more texture, to give a greater variety in tones of grey & brown and to get a clear contrast of different colours/markings within each mask.

Final touches were added like whiskers using pipe cleaners and a glue gun.

There were many sets of birds. I cut the feet of kneehigh socks to create arm warmers to which I attached suitable coloured ribbons to give a feeling of wings. These had good movement in the dance sections particularly for the Ravens and the Doves.

I also worked with a group from Back on Track to build the ark. Find out more…

This production was generously supported by the Booth Charities and Britten-Pears Foundation.

“I had a dream, which was not all a dream” 

On 2nd November three audiences were taken through the chambers of Peak Cavern, led through a dystopic world of uncertainty, panic and thoughts of the future. The performers had been on a journey which began in early September.

After a tour around Pooles Cavern (also known as Devil’s Arse), the groups decided on two themes – Trapped and Lost & Found.

Kaleidoscope Youth Theatre, from Buxton Opera House took the Trapped theme. Their director, Sian Dudley, found the poem Darkness, by Lord Byron which they all loved and used as a base for their sections.

Sian requested a sense of grandeur juxtaposed with a post-apocalyptic feel. She spoke of suits and ballgowns that would end up wet and muddy by the end of the show. I did point out our tiny budget, 3 shows in quick succession and that it was being performed in a cave in November. I also had to come up with a concept that allowed for some design input from the girls at the children’s home and something they would be capable of making.

I suggested a Steampunk vibe using jackets from charity shops as a starting point and customising them – slashing, zips, safety pins, lacing, feathers, net, belts, bling etc. For the girls, I bought kneelength net tutus to give that ballgown feel but more practical for doing physical work in a cave and within our budget. Big hair, mad make-up, boots, scarves and gloves (it was very cold) added to the post-apocalyptic look. As each jacket was different, the costume team were able to follow their own ideas. There was some sewing involved but not much. We also used creative cutting, UHU, glue guns and kimble (shop tag) guns to attach the embellishments and change the silhouette of the jackets.

Meanwhile Fairfield DreamScheme had run with an idea for a mysterious disappearance, and more mystery when the group is reunited. They worked together to devise the story and script. The direction was taken on by DreamScheme member Tamara Lacey as part of her Arts Award. She also played the main part of Eve, the character who disappeared and is later found having aged 50 years. This meant creating a double costume. They had requested a top hat and the idea of a traveller. I suggested the feel of a female Doctor Who which they liked.

As the second costume had to look identical to the first but as though it had been worn in a cave for 50 years, we had to buy two sets brand new. I chose a long coat to give that Doctor Who feel but also so we didn’t need two sets of the underneath costume and only need to change her coat in a cold cave. I distressed one of the coats and top hats using sand paper, a wire brush, paint and car spray. Rather than try to find a wig that looked like Tamara’s hair but older, I bought two long curly brown wigs. I cut one to shoulder length. The other was left long.I back combed it used white hairspray to make her look old and wild.

Three video clips from Darkness can be found on YouTube. Show photographs by DMC Photographic.

This was a High Peak Community Arts project managed by Sophie Mackreth.

The tour has started well back at The Lowry and received a cluster of 4 & 5 star reviews. My favourite was from Whats On Stage as I get a mention by name which is a rarity for a designer.

Next stop Knowsley…

[poster by RAGINGtrifle]

The ark had to be assembled and dismantled quickly and smoothly onstage during the performance. Adults on rehabilitation programmes with Back on Track Manchester are met every Friday to create the ark with me at Grumpy Creative Spaces. We used bamboo, wood, paper, postage tubes, cardboard and a lot of glue and gaffa tape. It was really good seeing it take shape over the weeks.

I ran workshops with school children in three primary schools and with choristers from Manchester Cathedral to design and make the 56 pairs of animals. Children worked with Bryony Bell from Bridgewater Hall to learn the songs and create movements to represent the animals and the storm.

There were only two performances of Noye’s Fludde at 1.45pm and 4.30pm on Saturday 23 February, both at Manchester Cathedral. I am looking forward to seeing the photos taken during the show and will share them with you in the portfolio section of my website.

Noye’s Fludde is generously supported by the Booth Charities, Salford and the Britten-Pears Foundation.

*UPDATE*

• More photos of the ark in progress can be seen here.
• For information and photos of the mask making workshops for this project, visit their own page.

Children (or adults) could design & make their very own royal crowns and tiaras using silver card. There were assorted gems, sequins, fur, ribbon, glitter foam and feathers to decorate them. I brought a big bag of shiny, sparkly, velvety, feathery things to dress up in and there was the opportunity to take their photo in our own special throne.

Everyone had great fun. Lots of parents got involved particularly the dads. Some people just wanted to pose on the throne with a feather boa or a flag which was good too.

This event was created in conjunction with The Met, Bury.

Tom  from Aqueous Humour explored drama games and improvisation with Year 1. Quite a change from the KS3 kids we have been working with. It was a delightful afternoon filled with fun and noise. Intrigued to discover many didn’t know what eye colour their own eyes were when asked to get into groups. Mild chaos & confusion ensued but they worked it out in the end by all working together. Enjoyed making images in groups but everyone wanted to be eyes in the face task. In one group nobody would back down so one boy suggested that they become a ’3 eyed alien’. Well, Tom never said what kind of face. Tom felt it was a really successful session especially at the end when they thanked him with an en-masse hug/rugby tackle requesting him as their new teacher – aw, bless.

I made alien masks with Year 4. Aliens are good fun as can go mad with colour and texture and shape and antennae and tentacles etc. I worked with them in small groups to create the base masks while they drew some designs. It’s important to create a design however quick & rough to help get ideas going and make decisions. This leads to faster more confident work once you get to the making stage with less mistakes. Once they transferred their designs to the masks, they used tissue paper to colour them and ribbons, pipe-cleaners, sequin waste, wool etc to decorate them. They created a fabulously imaginative array of colourful aliens.

Chorlton Church of England School should be proud of their pupils. They were a delight to work with and created some fantastic work. Thanks also to Chorlton High School for lending us their arts ambassadors to give a hand with the workshops, I hope they enjoyed themselves too. The Blue Box Theatre was a lovely (though a bit hot) space to run workshops in and hope to return in the future with a performance.

On Tuesday 5th June, I will be running a special kids workshop where they can design & make their very own royal crowns and tiaras! There will be the opportunity to take their photo in our own special throne room. The workshop will be running on a drop in basis from 11am-4pm located in Schorndorf Square.

In addition to this, on Monday & Tuesday there will be free face painting, chocolate and balloon giveaways plus our very own Monty the Monkey will be out and about from 11am-4pm. The Centre will be open 10.30am-4.30pm on both days.

Mill Gate Jubilee flyer

This event has been created in conjunction with The Met, Bury.

UPDATE: To see photos from this event see my follow-up post.

The aim of the project is to develop an affordable emotional literacy resource using masks for active/kinaesthetic learners. The purpose of the programme is to offer a tool to creatively explore emotional literacy as a barrier to learning. We have been running drama and design sessions as part of the research and development process of the project.

Please head over to the Aqueous Humour Community website to read my full blog post about the design sessions or to find out more about Emotionally Literate.

People think it’s great to work from home but it’s hard to escape (I am of course writing this at the reclaimed dining room table) but more than that I found it was easy enough to work when I was busy but it was those quiet times (other freelancers will know what I mean) when it was hard to focus on personal development and the search for new work, easy to get distracted by the washing and the long list of things that need fixing, painting etc. I checked out a several studios online. I was looking at sizes, prices, locations, facilities, availability and range of artforms. Some were very fine art orientated. Some were too open. Some were too expensive. Some didn’t have internet. I visited some to get a feel for what was on offer. Some were still being built. Generally there was nothing available.

Just after Christmas when my daughter had just turned one, a fellow artist/friend told me that some studios had become available in Islington Mill. I rang up and booked an appointment to view. I was working nearby in The Angel with DIY Theatre Company so it was very easy to pop by. Mark greeted me and showed me round the building. There were two medium studios still available – one at the back on the fourth floor and a slightly smaller one at the front on the third. I am not usually known for my decisiveness but something felt right. I knew this was meant to be. So on this grey wet day in Salford, I said yes and signed the contract and paid the deposit there and then. Knowing that I am often to be lugging stuff – props, costumes, materials etc and there was no lift, I lazily chose the one on the third plus it had a view of the cathedral (and as I later realised, a noisy school playground). Number 305.

So in February 2008, I moved into my own studio. I bought some bookcases, a big desk and an oil filled heater (best buy) from Pete’s Secondhand Store on Upper Chorlton Rd. It felt good to buy some stuff from him as I had spent years blagging & borrowing stuff off him for various theatre shows. They included delivery in the price not just to the door of the Mill but right up into my studio which I was truly grateful for as it was a mammoth desk. On my first day, as I moved in, who should hold the door open for me but Johnny Marr. As he had seen me carrying rolls of fabric and dressmaker’s dummys up, he knocked on to introduce himself and ask my advice on curtains for soundproofing – “Hello, I’m Johnny, I have the studio at the end..” It was a nice welcome.

In my early days at the Mill, the first floor gallery was a communal area with a food prep area with kettle, fridge, coffee maker and microwave. There was also a communal computer for internet access for those who didn’t have access in their studios. I would often pop down at lunchtime to get away from my work and that smell of glue & paint or so I didn’t get food on the fabric but also to see other faces and get to know what was going on. I was loving having my own space but I also liked that I was part of an artistic community but one that you definitely had to opt into rather than were forced to be part of. I particularly enjoyed Fridays when the butty man came calling and a big pot of coffee would be brewed. Another fan of butty Fridays was Rachel Wood who I was pleased to be reacquainted with as she had been my lodger and now we had studios on the same floor. I did certain days as I was also covering childcare for half the week. I got to know the others who crossed these hours as I rarely made it back for gigs or parties.

When I became pregnant with my second child, I was very glad that I had chosen the third floor. I also deliberated about giving my studio up but having waited so many years to have a studio of my own, I knew that the waiting lists meant that I may find it tricky to find another after my maternity leave especially at the Mill as its reputation had grown considerably. I would have to pay for storage anyway and I was in no state to do the move so I stayed. I was glad I did. It gave me a sense of artistic focus and belonging following my maternity leave. This was a tricky time for all involved in the arts as we waited to find out who had gained NPO status (including the Mill itself). I think it helped keep me sane. Things had changed in my absence. The gallery and bar were having a revamp.  Kim was doing food (this was a good thing) in The Engine House which had kind of replaced the first floor communal area. Faces had changed but this was a constant thing. There seemed to be more digital types which I think put a massive strain on the internet connection (one of my reasons for choosing Islington Mill) and so I was often to be found swearing at my laptop or retreating home if I needed to do webby stuff (you can tell I’m not that digital). I think it was shortly after my return to work that the council went a bit mad with the yellow paint and suddenly there was no longer anywhere to park (another of my reasons for picking the Mill) and as I mentioned before, I do a lot of lugging so this stressed me greatly.

Throughout my time at Islington Mill, I worked closely with physical theatre company, Aqueous Humour as their Head of Design. In 2009 Aqueous Humour were appointed Artists in Residence at Richmond Park KS3 PRU in Longsight and last year I was made joint Creative Director. This hasn’t meant more money but it has meant spending more time at base for meetings and project planning. When Aqueous Humour received confirmation that we would continue as Artists in Residence at the PRU, the natural progression was for me to move my studio there.

I will miss Islington Mill but I was just no longer there enough. Knowing me, this means I will now actually attend more gigs/events and am looking forward to doing my Christmas shopping at Xmas at The Mill. I have become Twitter (@nerissact) and Instagram friends with several Mill residents so will continue to be in touch and support your projects. Was glad I paid The Blue Van company to help with my move as there is still no lift (though I heard a rumour that there is still hope for one) and that desk is still as big and heavy.

*Thanks to my lovely neighbour Anj from Design By Day for the hug when I came over all emotional. I will miss their afternoon giggle attacks.