Pif-Paf's "Flight of Fancy simulator!"
Fly above the streets and hills and vales two at a time with Pif-Paf's fantastic flying contraption, piloted by the dysfunctional Aero brothers as they explore the meaning of travel and our dreams of flying. Two passengers fly at a time as the waiting hopefuls are entertained and quizzed by the "Other Brother". (ps we can't guarantee it will actually fly...)
Sheffield Children's Festival: sheffieldchildrensfestival.org
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AWAY/The Jumblies
This is the first of a series of R and D showings of elements of a new larger show called AWAY. This part is based on the Jumblies, an Edward Lear poem, about the green faced gang who set off to sea in a sieve. The sieve is built around our aerial counter-balance trolley, unfortunately we couldn't make full use of it as Eleanor's hand was still in plaster, but we used it as a musical mobile. The music was created by Eleanor and Eleary. The Sieve moves, plays music to accompany the instruments, makes a lot of noise, and of course squirts water. Our first Swing-About show! This element of AWAY works very well as a stand alone show, promenading or parading and performing static scenes of 5-10 minutes and is available for bookings from winter 2010. |
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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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Bee Cart
Bee Guides Bombus and Borage have taken the Human Union of Pollinators out of the Hive, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best with their mobile world of interaction, Bee wisdom and surreal fun. Delve into the world of Bees, try out their Flapper-Winger-Tronerators, meet a giant Varroa MIte, and maybe even get your nose pollinated! Suitable for all the family with rave reviews from festivals, environmental, food and agriculture events, schools and museums
The Bee Cart has been developed and toured extensively with support from The Co-operative Plan Bee. It was commissioned in 2009 by the British Science Association.
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The Deep Sea Aliens
The Deep Sea Alien Visitors, a pair of marvelous, beautiful, nosey visitors! Two large animated puppets perfect for street animation or parades, their stalk eyes and proboscuses are animated and they can lift their heads up to 4m or come right down and tickle a toddler's nose! The Deep Sea Aliens are inspired by real plankton lurking in the depths and are made to reveal the surprises all around us. They can be fitted with lights for after dark and small PAs and percussion for extra interaction and atmosphere.
Originally commissioned by London Bubble as a pair of Visitors for a welcoming ceremony with 800 children in Hither Green in May 2011, follwing on from Scarabeus Chromovorous (see below)
All images courtesy of London Bubble: londonbubble.org.uk
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The Big Winter Robin
The Big Winter Robin, commissioned by Emergency Exit Arts and The Uk Centre for Carnival Arts. In a busy two day workshop with children and at risk adults in the UKCCA mas Camp we made a giant, wintery, carnivally, wing flapping, beak pecking, bling crowned Robin. But thats not all, we then led a parade in a blizzard, surreal...
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Lighting The Legend 2011 presents "I Think I'll Stay"
As part of Ordsall Community Arts' annual LIghting The Legend Celebrations we created our biggest and brightest show to date developed from a story by 10 year old Keane Riley. What's it like arriving in a new street? A new town? A new country? Follow Super Chicken as she finds her feet amongst the very strange inhabitants of Mariners Canal and they all learn a few lessons from each other. The show was created with Keane Riley, The Oddsoccs writing group, St Clements Congregation, Princes Trust team at GMFRS, North Broughton Youth Centre, the OCA Gang. We created the whole set, rigged the site and rehearsed in a few days of torrential rain but fortunately it stopped for the parade, show and fireworks after.
Artists taking part were: Eleanor Hooper (Super Chicken, co-director), Pete Gunson (Designer-maker, producer, Lewis Tap's stunt double), Chris Squire (Lewis Tap, tech), Will Lenton (Gee Flatt, all music), Kim Heron (Pam Cake), Emily Rose Greenwood (Mun Chi), Dan Powers (tech manager), Danny Vickers (performo-tech), Mike Lister (Pumps and lighting), The Oddsocs with Johnny Woodhams (Lyrics and the danger song), Mick Fuzz (The Newsman).
Lanterns by Fi Smith and the OCA and Platt Field artists. (Swan Lanterns in the Video by Fi Smith, Jo Foley, Anna Smith and groups). Drumming by the OCA Drumming Band and friends. We were hosted by the Salford Water Sports Centre. |
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TRUNK touring Show
This is our brand new touring show for 2010, developed over the last couple of years. You can download info from the Shows page and link to a video. The show was created by Pif-Paf: Pete Gunson and Eleanor Hooper with Liz Walker, Simon Kerrigan and Will Lenton. We were helped in devising the flying dance by Mish Weaver and Gerry Turvey. All music by Will Lenton. Performed by Eleanor Hooper, Simon Kerrigan, Will Lenton, Pete Gunson and Dan Powers as technical Lion. The lead Lion at Stockton festival was Kim Heron.
See below for the development work for TRUNK in 2009 (Manchester Diwali and Green Bananas)
All images courtesy of Ian Horner Photography ianhornerphotography.com taken at Stockton International Riverside Festival 2010 |
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Giant Puppet Project, Siem Reap, Cambodia 2010
We were invited to work on The Giant Puppet Project by artistic director Jig Cochran who has been working on it for four years. We worked with Khmer artists Sokhpan and Oun Savann from Siem Reap as well as Gunsam, Sambaht, Phalla, Jon lee and Jan lee from Phare Ponleu Selpak Art School for three weeks running master classes and workshops with 500 children from the local area. The final parade was a riot of colour, music, singing and dancing with over 1,000 people taking part. Pif-Paf led on a Giant Fruit Bat and Green Pea Fowl, and all the artists helped each other. Crab and Monkeys by Phare students and Garuda and Singers by Jig.
Link to a video
This on going project is run voluntarily and supported by donations from people and businesses world wide and in Siem Reap.
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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. Fruit lanterns and parade lanterns by Fi Smith and Jo-Foley at OCA.
Images by Porl Medlock. |
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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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