City of Kittiwakes 2024 - Full Parade Video

City of Kittiwakes was a heritage, arts and environmentally-focused participatory project as part of Newcastle Puppetry Festival 2024. Two weeks of free-to-access community workshops at the John Marley Centre in Scotswood culminated in a parade to 5,000 people on Northumberland Street to open the 5th edition of the festival. The project involved over 200 North East of England residents to create the puppets, costumes and art pieces in the parade, alongside a team of professional artists. The project was inspired by iconic seabird the kittiwake, which nests under the Tyne Bridge - the largest inland colony of kittiwakes in the world. The kittiwake represents migration, sanctuary and is a symbol of North East England's diverse fauna and natural environments.

Participants wrote phrases inspired by the kittiwake, which were integrated as feathers on the giant kittiwake puppet. Some of these phrases were also turned into the banners in the parade. Composer Jayne Dent / Me Lost Me worked with West End Refugee Service members to write a new folk song inspired by the kittiwake - you can hear some of this new song 'Still Bright Bird' in the soundtrack to this video.

Following the parade, some of the puppets, costumes and art pieces were displayed at the Great North Museum: Hancock for two weeks. The project also facilitated four Guided Heritage Walks on the Quayside with historian David Silk, and five conservation workshops and events with Wild Intrigue and Natural History Society of Northumbria.

Concept / Direction: Kerrin Tatman
Engagement Lead: Vicky Tate
Producers: Kerrin Tatman, Becky Pereira, JonJoe Clennell
Production Manager: Louise Gregory
Heritage Lead: David Silk
Folksong Lead & Composer: Jayne Dent
Lead Artists: Alison Duddle, Chloe Rodham, Jo Feijó, Judith Hope, Rosie Bristow, Will Steele
Assistant Artists: Bronwyn Riani, Ellie Phillips, Mark Rogerson
Visual Evaluator and Illustrator: Becky Musgrove
Videography / Photography: Von Fox Promotions

And a HUGE thank you to all of the individual participants and community groups who made the project possible!

Community groups/partners included:
Arcadea Disability Arts, Children North East, Elders Council, Friends Action North East, Healthworks, Herb Hub UK, Learning for Life, Leamington Scouts, Newcastle Circus Arts, Newcastle College, Percey Hedley, The Bangshees, The Story Tellers Street Band, West End Refugee Service

A big thank you to the Great North Museum: Hancock for hosting the exhibition!

Project partners:
Moving Parts Arts CIO, Breeze Creatives, Great North Museum: Hancock, Natural History Society of Northumbria, Wild Intrigue

Funders:
Arts Council England, North of Tyne Combined Authority, Heritage Lottery
Community Foundation, Postcode Lottery, Community Fund, The Barbour Foundation