An exhibition of two magpie puppets that puppet maker Cat Rock created for Nottingham Puppet Festival 2024.
The magpies are the result of a community-led commission, and were created through a process of co-design. Local groups chose the artist they wanted to create the puppets and helped come up with an idea for the design.
The groups involved were users of the Hubb Neighbourhood Centre, pupils from Cantrell Primary School and the Nottingham Rebels Theatre Group. Cat ran workshops to familiarise them with different elements of puppetry performance and craft.
The magpies were revealed at Nottingham Central Library as part of the puppet festival’s big City Centre day. Afterward they visited Cantrell School, Lakeside Arts, the Hubb and William Booth Primary School.
The magpies gather stories from the people of Nottingham, asking the question “what do you treasure about Nottingham?”. They bring back people’s responses and store them in their giant nest. We have hundreds of answers, some of which are shared in this exhibition.
Nottingham Puppet Festival was organised by Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall and City Arts, and funded by Arts Council England.
About Cat Rock
Cat Rock is a Bristol-based, award-winning Puppeteer, Film Maker, Fabricator, Performer and Artist with a Master’s degree in Theatre and Performance. She studied at the University of Kent and Indiana University in the USA, she has been working in the puppetry industry ever since. Cat has performed internationally and has worked with companies and industry professionals such as The Paper Cinema, Trigger Stuff, Mervin Miller, Olly Tayler, Jimmy Grimes, Peter Elliott, Oddpost, Bedlam Oz and Greenpeace.
