TRUNK
Our new extraordinary Elephant Puppet and a show for 2010 developed with Mike Lister of AVANTI display (performer, deviser, fountaneer) Chris Squire of Impossible Theatre (performo-tech, director), Ali Wood (Trombone, monkey wee), Chris Davies (percussion and sax), Sonya Moorhead (emergency legs), Eleanor Hooper (maker, director) and Pete Gunson (company director, maker, performotech).
We have developed a 20 minute show for festivals and are developing a 20 minute site specific performance (see home page), we will be touring in 2010, keep an eye on the website for dates and venues.
TRUNK is commissioned by The Indian Association of Greater Manchester, Ordsall Community Arts and Arts Council England.
Images by Donald Judge. |
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TRUNK at Green Bananas
Pif-Paf produced the finale show for the annual Ordsall Community Arts Lantern Parade. The show combined developing work within the community and tying in elements of work that Pif-Paf has developed, including TRUNK.
We moved the show from its usual home at Ordsall Hall to Mariners Canal, a fantastic amphitheatre in the heart of Salford Quays. The show involved a 20 piece community choir on stage, an aerialist suspended from a bridge, rafts, a giant elephant, an errant policeman, cheeky dockers, enormous fruit and a water display finale.
The fantastic show involved 22 groups including the OCA kids groups, two schools, Ordsall Acapella Choir and St Clements Congregation.
The show was a collaboration between The People of Ordsall and Pif-Paf with Mike Lister of Avanti, Chris Squire of Impossible Theatre, Danpowersproductions, Emilyrose Circus and Ali of the Real Macaws. Music was developed with the choirs by Johnny Woodhams and Daniel Weaver. Lanterns by Fi Smith at OCA
Images by Porl Medlock. |
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HONEY….a love story with a sting in its tail…
NEW FOR 2008. The ancient marriage of Man and Bee is in trouble. We take
the audience into our intimate touring tent and a future where two passionate
survivors are trying to save the world. Trademark mix of humour, pathos,
science and renowned design. See the home page for more details.
Here are some images by Eleanor Hooper and pictures of the making in progress,
premiers will be in May 2008, see you there!. |
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HANUMAN!
JAI HANUMAN! a jumping animated 4m high giant Hindu Monkey God. Commissioned by the Indian Association of Greater Manchester for their Desheera Diwali Mela 2008. Hanuman is a strong but cheeky hero from the Ramayana epic poem, famous for rescuing Queen Sita from the clutches of the evil Ravan by jumping between mainland India and Sri Lanka. Our Hanuman has animated legs and head and a flashing mace, he is operated from the back of a large hand powered crane so that he can move through and fly above the crowds. HANUMAN is available for events and parades.
Images 1, 2 and 3 by Donald Judge. Image three by Jo Barker-Marsh |
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Under The Floorboards
Hold on to the Time-O-Scope as Professor Sedgwick and Hooper the Mechanic take us on an accidental voyage into the time and space beneath our feet. A wild story line, beautiful set, a punk volcano and better facts than you can shake a museum at. A 45 minute show for all the family aimed at Museums and Science festivals.
Under The Floorboards was commissioned by The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences at Cambridge University.
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DIRT AND DREAMS
Dirt and Dreams was an enchanting and expansive site specific performance commissioned by the City of Salford and the Heritage Lottery Fund in September 2008 in Clifton Country Park, Salford.
For 80 years Wet Earth Colliery had lain dormant and for two days only the work, lives and legends of 180 years of Dirt and Dreams come tumbling back up its shafts and tunnels.
We animated three ruins with performance and sculptures and a further two with sound. The show was devised and created by the company from an original idea by Pete Gunson. Sound by Daniel Weaver. Performance by Eleanor Hooper, Sonya Moorhead, Pete Gunson, Chris Squire and Dan Powers. This was the first time we have used water so extensively, flooding two sites and creating a mechanical sculpture on one with a working water wheel and two unruly jets. The pieces looked at humanity, coal and the machine respectively.
All images courteousy of Porl Medlock (except image one - Emily Dennison) |
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Fete de Noue,
St Helier, Jersey December ’07
Two week residency to create a celebration parade and finale to open the
annuak festival of light, with schools and community. Giant luminescent
fish were made with design students. The parade was slightly delayed by
force 8 gales and thunder and lighting, but we got there in the end! |
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Kersal Dale Gateway
Sculpture Project, summer ‘07
Two 4m high steel sculptures commissioned by the Friends of Kersal Dale
with Salford City Council, a beautiful hidden gem in Salford. Each a giant
insect perched above our heads, both guardians and welcoming committee.
Each sculpture contains a poem commissioned from Lousie Oliver (founder
member of IOU Theatre) to open our minds to the treasures of the natural
world. |
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SCARABEUS CHROMO-VOROUS,
June ‘07
A giant BUG, we don’t know where it came from but feed it colour and
song and it grows and sings!
Commissioned by London Bubble and Creative Partnerships Scarabeus Chromovorous
is available as a walk-about show, with Scarabeus’ closest human friend
helping everyone communicate with this giant, tactile, interactive creature.
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Pif-Paf’s
Fantastic Travelling animal Troupe
Dr Ranulph L’Otter and his Associates bring us tall tales
of real animals and real extinctions. Clients Include Salford
Lads Club and BBC RaW. |
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Pif-Paf’s
Edwardian Games
The Characters from the Extinct Animal Troupe run a group of
games with an extinct animal twist. We engage all generations
in their desire to win a Clementine through Bat the Solenodon,
Pin The Tail On The Quagga, the old bendy wire game… |
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November
‘06, Lighting the Legend 2006, ‘Get Diggy With
It’
Working With Ordsall Community Arts and Fiona Smith(Parade and
Community Arts) Pif-Paf created a 7metre dinosaur coming alive
and adventuring through the crowd with his handlers in search
of what every dinosaur needs….true love?? |
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November ’06, Salford City Council’s Witches
Walk 2006
We created four Hallowe’en Walkabout Acts for a crowd
of 5,000 in Blackleach Country Park. Working with performers,
musicians and Students from Salford College. Each act had its
own mobile set with lighting. |
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September
’06, Ordsall Community Arts Consultation Trolley
Working with Ordsall Community Arts’ team Pete made a
trolley with which we toured the streets finding out what people
thought of sensitive redevelopment ideas, disguised as builders. |
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July
’06, Highlands Summer
Pete and Ellie Hooper travelled to Inverneshire to make a pair
of commissions. First a giant Osprey and nest for Boat of Garten’s
inaugural Steam Rally and then Thorfinn The Mighty for Dingwall’s
Viking Festival. |
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April
’06, Surestart Hyde Creative Evaluation
Pif-Paf worked with the community with whom we have a long relationship
using sculpture, drawing, automata and video to evaluate 3 years
of SureStart Hyde. We created a set of seven boxes with bold
colour and intricate detail. |
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February
’06, Stockport Excellence Cluster Yurt
Pete Gunson and Fiona Smith Created an interactive Yurt to summarise
and evaluate an Excellence Cluster education initiative, including
over 150 participants views and work. |
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October
’05, Witches Walk 2005
We made a 10 metre long dragon out of old Playground Equipment,
wings from slides, goal post legs…. He was surrounded
by metal Bubble Trees and cages holding pumpkins carved by Fi
Smith and team. |
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Spring
’05 SureStart, Hyde Public Art Project
Working over seven months the community worked with Pete, Matt
Worden and Gowri Savoor to make a large triple Gate, Oak Benches,
and a Textile Hanging. |
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October
’04, Lighting The Legend ’04
A giant spinning colour-changing Heart for Ordsall Community
Arts’ annual lantern parade and show. |
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Spring
’00, Ordsall Bakers Born and Bread
In 2000 I worked with Ordsall Community Arts alongside Spacecadets
and many others. I made the structures for a giant bakery, including
a 2 storey oven, three carts, cranes and a 6 foot mixer…
for this enourmous Parade show. |
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Community
Making Projects
A few images of smaller projects run over the last six years,
hurtling up Ancoats streets on homemade go-carts, making a Youth
Shelter… Always teaching trade skills, woodwork, plumbing,
mechanics |
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MERCi
Furniture
Working as Maker in Residence for three years at Manchester’s
Centre for Sustainable Development I worked with other Makers
and New Deal Trainees to fit out the Resource Space in furniture
from Recycled timber. |
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Private
Commissions
Up to 2003 I worked on smaller projects, often making furniture
and private commissions, here are a few things from that time,
and a link to my old petegunson.com website. I still do a bit
of this work when I’ve the time. |
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