Lakes Alive is returning to the streets of Penrith on Sunday 1 August with a bold and bright performance festival featuring some of the best puppeteers and artists from across the globe.
Every corner of the market town will be buzzing with lively acts from Spain, Holland, Switzerland, France and beyond.
There’ll be giant strolling creatures, imaginative marionettes, enchanting shadow puppets, interactive experiences and more.
It promises to be a magical and inspiring day for the whole family to enjoy.
Lakes Alive is Cumbria’s unique contribution to the Legacy Trust UK programme which was set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Julie Tait, the director of Kendal Arts International, which runs Lakes Alive along with Manchester International Arts, says: “We’ve lined up some of the world’s very best street artists to perform on the streets of Penrith. They will charm, amaze and enchant you with their performances which are all free.
“With performers popping up on every street corner, the event will have a real fairytale quality that will captivate both adults and children.”
All Aboard will take visitors on a train journey through the ups and downs of one man’s life. This poetic show is both moving and funny. One Australian reviewer commented: “All Aboard cannot be described well enough to capture its genius. It is simply a play that must be seen to be believed.”
In Fishing for Shadows, Wild Theatre will be creating an interactive, magical space which is inspired by the beaches and glaciers of New Zealand. The performance is filled with puppets and images created from natural materials, driftwood, recycled wood and found objects. This a very hands on performance in which the audience bring the puppets to life themselves, creating their own stories.
From France comes The Horsemen – a street walking act which mixes comedy with visual performance. Three French riders on horseback prepare for the next Olympic Games with hilarious results.
The Flying Buttresses will bring their unique creations Hodman Dodmanott and Sally Forth to the streets of Penrith. Hodman and Sally are a pair of travellers from the proud country of Oblivia who attempt to explain the new and baffling sights that surround them on their journeys to strange new places. This charming show has been called "the closest thing to real magic you will ever see".
Prepare for a truly hair-raising show from Barcelona-based Sienta La Cabeza who will open their salon for business complete with two snip happy hairdressers and a lively DJ.
Andre Krupp is a vegetable trainer who will dazzle with his wonderful display of dancing, juggling and acrobatic tomatoes!
There’s a Family Mouse Circus complete with flying trapeze and mouse heroics courtesy of Dodgy Totty. This sweet outdoor theatre show features two actors, four puppets, a miniature airplane and lots of tea and cake.
Other highlights include the delightful puppet walkabout Busy Lizzy who wanders through the crowds laden with blooms spreading some flower power and interacting with the public.
La Puntal from Spain will present Rutinas, a puppet show inspired by the popular European tradition which for centuries was performed by travelling puppeteers in streets, parks and squares.
And Bernard’s Puppet Bonanza stars Bernard, an old-time puppet man for whom the show must go on despite technical nightmares and total incompetence.
The Lakes Alive event in Penrith also forms part of the Best in Eden Summer Festival which celebrates and promotes all things cultural in Eden. Adrian Lochhead from Eden Arts, who organise Best in Eden, says:
“After the success of last year’s events we are all looking forward to what is in store for Penrith this time. These international acts are sure to be a big hit and I’m sure that once again the streets will be packed, I’d say get there early!”
The previous day in Cockermouth Lakes Alive is putting on a French style fete. Like the fetes that take place in towns and villages across France the event in Cockermouth aims to bring everyone out onto the streets to meet their neighbours and visitors, to talk, eat, dance and enjoy the entertainment.
Visitors will be able to take part in a ‘cowboy ceilidh’, learn some electro ballroom dance steps and watch an array of amazing acts including puppet shows, acrobats, music, some curious visitors from a strange far off land and a couple of very unlikely ballerinas.
Lakes Alive are also bringing a special woodland themed tour to three of Cumbria’s favourite woodlands between 28 and 30 July. Into the Woods starts at Talkin Tarn on the 28th, moving onto Whinlatter Forest on 29 July and then Grizedale Forest on 30 July.
Art installations will spring up in forest glades, amazing creatures will appear from behind trees and actors will pop up from nowhere during the events. Acts include a wooden book inscribed onto trees, a surreal performance of Hansel and Gretel and a giant inflatable pig!
Lakes Alive is one of three annual programmes commissioned for WE PLAY, the Northwest cultural\ legacy programme for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. WE PLAY is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games. The project is led by the Arts Council England Northwest on behalf of a new regional partnership. Lakes Alive is sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and has also received funding from Arts Council England and the Northern Rock Foundation.
For more information about Lakes Alive 2010 events go to www.lakesalive.org
To find out more about the Best in Eden summer festival visit www.bestineden.com.
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Notes to Editors
For media information please contact Paul Gardner or Karen Gardner on 01524 782086.
Lakes Alive is a major programme created and directed by Kendal Arts International with Manchester International Arts.
It is one of the three Annual Legacy Programmes commissioned by Legacy Trust UK for WE PLAY, the Northwest cultural legacy programme for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will represent a diverse range of projects and events, across culture, education and sport, appealing to people from all walks of life.
The term WE PLAY implies community, competition, participation, creativity, debate, connections and involvement. WE PLAY is led by a new regional partnership group commissioned by Legacy Trust UK and led by the Arts Council Northwest.
Lakes Alive is sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency. The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is responsible for:
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Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
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Matching skills provision to employer needs
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Creating the conditions for economic growth
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Connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure
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Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life
Lakes Alive has also received funding from Arts Council England and the Northern Rock Foundation.
KAI has worked in partnership with every local authority in Cumbria, the Lake District National Park Authority, Cumbria Tourism, the University of Cumbria and key arts organisations to deliver the programme.
Legacy Trust UK is an independent charity whose mission is to support a wide range of innovative cultural and sporting activities which celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and which will leave a lasting legacy in communities throughout the United Kingdom.
