London’s Deborah Pope ‘Art Action' Kid Programme

5-DEC-05

London’s Deborah Pope for Elements New ‘Art Action’ Children’s Programme

“Pope, in a blaze of energy, has truly put the sparkle back into the theatre-circus genre” Mary Brennan, The Scottish Herald.

Deborah Pope, one of the premier international circus/theatre talents to come from New Zealand, has joined the Headliner list for the Porirua City Festival of the Elements on Waitangi Day in February.

Pope - acclaimed for her ability to mix the skills and thrills of circus with theatre, dance and gymnastics - will be the special guest for Art Action - a new Children’s programme to be introduced at the 2006 Festival in February.

She will run workshops in trapeze, acrobatics, juggling and rope skills for 5-12 year olds.

Art Action coordinator Sue Garden-Bachop says other plans for Art Action are currently being finalised.

“Art Action will include up to ten workshops covering activities such as mask making, mosaics, wearable newspaper art, sculpture, and face painting. Art Action will also have kindy gym, and trampolining

“We will have a wide variety of art and craft activities for children to create their own masterpieces to take home, and there’ll be a children’s stage for performances.”

In the past, the Festival of the Elements has offered special entertainment for children, but Art Action will be the first comprehensive Festival programme planned especially for children.

The Art Action programme will be free, and will be held in the Porirua Recreation Centre as part of the Festival from 11am to 4pm on February 6.

Sue Garden-Bachop says gaining Deborah Pope and her crew is a wonderful coup for the new Art Action programme.

“Deborah Pope has an international reputation as an Acrobat, Aerialist, Director, and Aerial Design and Rigging Consultant,” Ms Garden-Bachop says.

Pope graduated from Wellington’s Victoria University with a Bachelor of Science, and went onto study at the Royal School of Music in London and at Middlesex University. She trained in circus in Paris and London.

She has worked with some of Britain’s leading visual, circus, opera and theatre companies, and her own company - No Ordinary Angels - attracts sell out crowds for its performances.

Pope has also worked with The Royal Opera, Circus OZ, and international Arts Festivals in Munich, Melbourne, Cadiz, Edinburgh and New Zealand.

She has choreographed for film, television, opera and theatre, including Faust for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company, and she has directed large-scale events for the Docklands International Festival, The Guildhall, and Convent Gardens.

Pope produced and directed New Zealand’s first New Circus, and was Head Coach for the Millennium Dome Central Arena Show in London.

She will come to the Festival of the Elements fresh from touring in the United Kingdom as Show Director of Circus Oz.

Volunteers who would like to assist with Art Action can contact Sue Garden-Bachop on (04) 237 5089.

ENDS

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