About Ian
"The children had a WONDERFUL time - your enthusiasm and humour are infectious, Ian.""Thank you for making us laugh til we cried - a real tonic!"
"Very impressed by the way you cope with difficult students."
"A thoroughly energised workshop..."
"You are wonderful with the children..."
"Made an ordinary day very special"
"Your encouragement and positive attitude saw the whole thing through."
"The drama was excellent and really captured the group's imagination - we were still talking about it the next day!"
Ian is an experienced community arts worker -
A graduate of Dartington
College of Arts where he studied Theatre, Ian worked in Community Theatre in Liverpool before leading Northumberland Community Arts. He came to the Midlands to run Community Development on the Dines Green estate in
West Worcester, ending up as the assistant Community Development Manager for
Worcester City Council before setting up and establishing Sure Start in the city.
Ian holds current
Enhanced CRB checks through both Worcestershire County Council AND Worcester
Volunteer Bureau and can provide written references if required.
Ian is an associate artist with Worcestershire Resource Exchange & uses recycled materials from them and elsewhere to create costumes, puppets,
giant structures, environments, musical instruments, masks – anything that
suits the needs of the groups he works with; scrap material offers so much variety!
About Ally
A skilled musician and Advanced Skills music teacher, Ally is famed throughout the county for her dynamic presentation, enthusiasm and ability to lose things! She is much in demand in the primary sector for her abilities in leading whole school singing sessions; class music in folk, classical or pop genres; project work; after-school music groups and special needs music education.
Recent Projects include:
The Ariconium Mystery Play –Come on in, the water’s fine!
Plans for the Ariconium
Mystery Play are coming on apace. Performance dates are Fri 28 April
& Sat 1 May at The Alma Tavern, Linton. A large group of local
people has been scribbling away at the script, dodging snowstorms and ice to dramatise
the story of “John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus”. Now all we need is
for YOU to come and help bring it to colourful life! The play is full of juicy
major acting and singing roles plus lots of smaller but engaging parts. We also
want to hear from costume and set designers and makers, musicians and
technicians.
Auditions for performers,
both lead and support parts, will be held at Weston under Penyard Primary School, HR9
7PA on:
Saturday
27 February between 10am
and 12.30pm
Don’t wait to have your arm
twisted – drop in any time to this friendly and informal session where you can
meet the producer Ian Craigan and find out more about the project.
Please note: under 18s are
welcome to attend the auditions with written permission from a parent or
guardian. Under 11s must be accompanied.
To request a copy of the
script (email free, paper £2 + P&P) call 01905 429151 or email
info@puppettree.co.uk
The Adventures of Hatty and Sonny
Charford Children's Centre in Bromsgrove wanted something to interest and engage young parents. Following up on a fun but soggy trip to Hatton World at Easter, Ian worked with the group to write, illustrate and publish a book.
The Adventures of Hatty and Sonny is full of photos of the day and images created by parents and childre. The story, devised by parents, incorporates letter and number recognition with a truly entertaining narrative. Copies can be puchased or downloaded through online Print-on-demand specialists
Lulu.com
More story creating action went on at Oldbury Park Primary in Worcester. Two Year 1 classes enjoyed learning how traditional stories are constructed and used the basic rules to create their own 'Once Upon a Time' books. Children choose from 'Add on', 'Magical Beings' and 'Enchantment' story types and their imaginations went wild!
Building on his years of experience in Community Development work, Ian recently collaborated with Gairnswood Ltd to carry out a very successful
Community Engagement exercise for the Tewkesbury Healthy Town Partnership. A final report and video in April captured the results of workshops and open days in schools, community venues, youth groups, stay & play groups and the street! Using Giant Maps, games and group work activity Ian his collegues enabled over 300 local people to comment on and significantly influence the direction of thinking regarding use of nearly £2million of government funding, aimed at improving health in the town.
Recent work included:
December is Lantern Pageant time in Ronkswood, Worcester and groups all over the estate get busy making giant lanterns & puppets. The 2009 event centred round St Matthews Church at the heart of the estate and told the story of Ronk and his adventures. Students from Perrywood Primary and Nunnery wood High School used shadow play, masks, music and drama to bring the tale to life and it ended with giant lantern 'seeds'taking a message of hopefrom Ronkswood to the whole world!
In 2008 Little Light, star of the 2007 pageant was back and this time he'd lost the Treasures of Heaven - luckily he got them back in time!
Perrywood Primary's Rainbow of HOPE
The Pageant for St Wulfstan's 1000th birthday. Commissioned by Worcester Cathedral (Wulfstan founded the Norman cathedral), Ian wrote and produced a seven part street theatre show which was performed by students from Bishop Perowne CofE College & Blessed Edward Oldcorne RC College; after just one day of rehearsals! Visit the Cathedral site for more details of Wulfstan's incredible life and works.
A Mystery Cycle for rural Herefordshire
The first Mystery Play, "The Creation & The Fall of Adam and Eve", was performed at the end of October 2008. It was written, performed and promoted by members of the Archenfield Group of Ministries with music by local people and local composer John Frith. A DVD is available and also producing a short 'Making of...' film to give others a flavour of the process.
The next play is now being devised by members of the Ariconium benefice south east of Ross on Wye.
God busy creating with a dustpan and brush!
Since setting up Puppet Tree I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with a wide range of willing
partners, including:
- For Warndon Primary School I coordinated a Christmas Nativity Service
in Worcester Cathedral, with enormous Magi Puppets processing down the
aisle.
- For Gorse
Hill Primary I ran a series of story workshops in their Young
Explorers foundation stage unit, bringing to life the themes of Autumn,
Fire and Family through games, stories and puppets.
- For Westlands Primary a Design
Technology project based on ‘Town Mouse & Country Mouse’ with three
KS1 classes making puppets and performing their tales.
- With and Worcester College of Technology, a Gamelan accompanied Shadow
Puppet project with all of Years 4/5/6 culminating in a public performance
in the village hall.
- With The
Fairfield Centre Older Persons
Group, poetry and storytelling
- For
Worcester University Unitots nursery,
10 weeks of dance workshops with 3 & 4 yr olds.
- For Worcester
& District Methodist Circuit & Worcester East Deanery storytelling training workshops
- Junk Music making with Redditch Special Needs Friday Fun Club
Before setting up Puppet Tree I was involved in a number of successful community
arts ventures, some highlights being:
Funpac Festival
An annual multicultural
festival based at
in
which used meagre Awards 4 All funding to create amazing educational and
community opportunities with visiting artists, processions, and celebrations.
Dines Green Community Players
I acted as writer, director
and producer. Starting with a cast of 5 (including a reluctant vicar) the
Players developed over 7 years to a group of 40 adults and children performing
pantomimes, street theatre and revues.
Ledbury Millennium Passion Play
Working with composer John
Frith I wrote and directed this large scale community performance, given by a
cast of 100+ and a 60 piece orchestra over three nights in the parish church
and incorporating video projection, dance, lighting and sound effects.
Have you got an idea for a community event or
in-house project that requires drive, patience and creativity to bring to
fruition?
Please get in touch.
