Mini Millbrook Project visited by The Nuffield Theatre

Thanks to the PUSH4Culture Puppet programme and the Mini Mini Millbrook Project's visit to see a puppet show back in February, The Nuffield Theatre has been able to start its own relationship with the group.

Tracey Woolmer, the new Audience Development Officer at The Nuffield came along this Monday to the group's monthly meeting to talk to the ladies and see how they could be more involved in the Theatre.

As well as telling them about upcoming shows and city events, Tracey invited the group to see the Nuffield's programme before it goes to print. The ladies will then have the chance to give feedback on what the Nuffield is planning to put on, and ideas for how it can be improved.

So thank you to Tracey for coming despite the very hot weather!

Volunteer Week at Pilands

The Volunteers at Pilands Community Centre, (One of the first groups the CB project worked with back in 2007), have been canvassing for new recruits this week - Setting up their stool outside the local chippy! - a very shrewd move. The centre has been forging ahead with many new activities and events, despite the loss of a paid co-ordinator last year.
New Volunteers have been taken on and we are hoping to help with this via some community development training, to strengthen the team.

Mini Millbrook PUSH4Culture 2 day Puppet workshop - moving puppets

To give group members the chance to learn how to make different types of puppets, the PUSH4Culture puppet programme finished off with a 2 day puppet workshop with Puppeteer Izy from 'Twisted Myth Productions' and Filmmaker Alys Hawkins. This was on Tuesday 14th and Wed 15th April over Easter.

Using templates, Izy showed people how to make a range of puppets that moved . These included hand puppets and rod puppets.

The workshop was also intended to broaden the type of skills the group were learning, and to introduce them to new media. As part of day 1, the children were shown how to use the internet to get ideas. Then on day 2, Alys the Filmmaker came along to show group members how to film with a camera. She also took the opportunity to film the group doing their handiwork and to interview them for a DVD.

In the final afternoon, the group did their own puppet shows to each other filmed using the camera equipment.

The Mini Millbrook Project now eagerly awaits the results as Alys is editing the film of the day. Each of them will be getting a DVD as a celebration of all of the group's hard work.

I reckon it will throw up a lot of laughs and who knows, it might even go down well at their upcoming AGM!

Mini Millbrook PUSH4Culture 1 day Puppet Workshop - papier mache

Having seen 2 puppet shows and the large scale carnival puppets in London, members of the Mini Millbrook Project were itching to have a go at making puppets themselves.

So on Monday 6th April, Giulia from 'The Puppet Workshop' ran a one-day workshop in Millbrook. It was a busy day making paper mache puppets out of scrap materials and everyone had a go. Someone did a puppet of their husband, but we won't mention any names.

And after the workshop, Mandy and Karen, who both were unable to make the workshop had a go themselves at home and brought along the results to the next Easter workshop a week later.

Mini Millbrook trip to london - workshop with Notting Hill Carnival Artists

After visiting the Tricycle Theatre, the Mini Millbrook's next stop was Harlesden to visit the Mahogany Mas Camp. These are some of Notting Hill's top carnival artists who produced costumes for the opening of the Beijing Olympic Handover in 2008. It was amazing to see the size of some of their puppets and everyone loved trying on their costumes.

After lots cheesy smiles and running up and down with wings on, it was upstairs for a workshop on making carnival hats. These were made using templates and everyone got stuck in.

Then it was home on yet more trains (including Waterloo station in the rush hour) and everyone arrived home at 8.30pm exhausted.

Mini Millbrook PUSH4Culture Trip to London

After going to visit a puppet show locally at the Nuffield Theatre in February, the Mini Millbrook Project went to see a puppet show in London on March 28th. This was at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn and was called 'Petrushka & the Mysterious Magician'.The puppet show had 2 actors in it this time and was less traditional than the Nuffield performance. It also included sign language as part of the entertainment.

The whole trip was made using public transport and included 3 different types of train; main line, overland and tube. The aim was to use transport that the group could use themselves another time as for some of the parents and children, it was the first time they'd ever been to London. The Tricycle Theatre staff were very welcoming and arranged for the Mini Millbrook Project to get the VIP treatment once again by having their very own 'meet the actors' session at the end of the show.

The trip was funded by PUSH4Culture & organised by Southampton Scrapstore.

Mini Millbrook get PUSH4Culture funding for puppet programme

Back in February the CB Project won £3700 of funding from PUSH4Culture to run a puppet programme for the Mini Millbrook Project. It was a theme they had come up with themselves when they had a review meeting in January about what they wanted to do this year.

The programme kicked off on February 28th with a trip to the Nuffield Theatre to see 'The Selfish Giant' puppet show.

After the show, the children got to 'meet the puppets' to get a close up look and to try out holding them. Sharon Lawless from the Nuffield also gave the group the VIP treatment, with a guided tour round the back of the stage and into the Green room to see what goes on behind the scenes.

"The last time I saw a puppet show was on the coast. It was Punch and Judy" Karen