Case Study

“Coming to City Arts has made me feel confident… I would like there to be more sessions.”

Date published: 6 Aug 2024

Posted by: Joe Pick

A woman wearing glasses manipulates a puppet with a round head, green eyes, and a white shirt with black pants. Another person assists from behind, partially visible. The puppet's arms are raised, and the scene is set indoors against a plain, light-colored wall.

Meander Theatre is a Nottingham based company of learning disabled and autistic creatives. The company was established in 2011. The group produce bold new performances and artwork that challenge audiences.

City Arts and Nottingham Puppet Festival awarded the company a bursary as part of the 2024 festival. It allowed them to revisit a short piece of theatre, ‘I Come From…’, first produced and performed in 2023 with the support of Nottingham Playhouse. Through a mix of puppetry and spoken word, ‘I Come From…’ depicts episodes of bullying and hate crime in the workplace. It is based on the real-life experiences of Meander company members. The updated show premiered at City Arts in June 2024.

A man in a red sweater gestures with his arms while speaking, standing next to a seated woman and another person holding a small puppet. The puppet has a round head with large eyes and is dressed in a white shirt and black pants. The group is indoors, with a light-colored wall behind them.

For several of the Meander company members, working on the show was a chance to learn new puppet making and performance skills:

I learnt how to make a butterfly using recycled materials. I’ve learnt how to paint with acrylic paint. I worked with glue and tissue paper and connected the lower jaw [of the puppet] to the head.

I made Theresa [the puppet]. Using tape and bamboo was new to me.

I have learnt how to make puppets movable, so they look more realistic and expressive.

A woman holds a large, colorful butterfly puppet with intricately designed wings, made from various materials and patterns. The butterfly has a purple head with antennae and a multicolored body. In the background, another person is seen handling a different puppet, while a third individual stands near a large puppet head with orange streamers.

The support of the bursary gave Meander the opportunity to work with a professional puppeteer and puppet maker, Izzy Hollis. They attended sessions held at City Arts building in Hockley, Nottingham. For some the sessions and setting provided a confidence boost.

Coming to City Arts has made me feel confident because it’s a bigger space and has more art supplies. I think that I would like there to be more sessions.

I feel more confident. Performing with puppets was nice. I feel better at it now than I did before. I would feel more confident to come to City Arts again.

Coming to the sessions have made me a lot more confident and want to do more in the future. I’ve enjoyed the experience.

I’d like to have space at City Arts more regularly and work on more projects

A man in a blue shirt lifts a large puppet head made of plastic bags with orange streamers, while a woman in glasses and another person manipulate a smaller puppet dressed in a white shirt and black pants. The scene takes place indoors, with a plain, light-colored wall in the background.

Despite the show’s challenging, potentially triggering, subject matter, there was lots to enjoy about working on it:

The best thing about coming to the sessions was getting used to working with the puppets and having a go. The sessions were very enjoyable. I feel the group got a lot out of them. I think we worked well as a group and even though I joined later, I still felt part of the group.

The best thing has been working and spending time with the group. I’ve enjoyed it lots.

I am pleased I have been able to showcase my puppet and use it in a performance. I like to show off my creativity skills.

Meander’s story shows how the opportunities City Arts creates for artists have a powerful impact. With the support of their bursary, Meander company members have learnt new skills and grown in confidence. We are proud to have supported Meander’s project.

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