FUNDING SUCCESS FOR OUR NEXT PROJECT, GLOW BADBURY!
March 30th 2023
We are thrilled to announce a whooping £78, 028 has been raised from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, for our new project in the Wimborne area. Emerald Ant will be working closely with National Trust Kingston Lacy to engage children from 4 local schools in learning about the ancient hillfort Badbury Rings. Participants will then work with artists to create 5 artistic and musical works, forming the Glow Badbury illuminated event in September.
Thank you to all our funders; the National Lottery Heritage Fund , the National Trust and Dorset Council, and thank you to lottery players for making such projects real!
MARKETING TO DEAF AUDIENCES – Research Role
Background
Emerald Ant is a Dorset-based arts company specialising in outdoor events, education, and street theatre. We have recently been successful in getting Arts Council and Dorset Council funding to widen access to our outdoor theatre performance, ‘The Iguanodon Restaurant’. This is a family show for all ages and tells the story of the origins of geology in southern England. It is a fast-moving comic romp through 60 years of science history that starts with Mary Anning’s discovery of fossils in Lyme Regis and ends with Darwin’s Origin of Species in London. The story is told in and around a life size Victorian Iguanodon, see www.emeraldant.com/iguanodon-restaurant for a trailer and more details.
Following a period of inactivity due to Covid19, Emerald Ant is now re-casting the show, bringing in new performers, and a BSL / SSE interpreter. We are also working with Yewstock School to create an ‘Iggy Experience’ for special needs children. This work will culminate in performances at Lyme Regis Fossil Festival on April 30th and May 1st. We are planning a wider tour of Somerset and Dorset museum venues in late Summer 2022 and 2023. At each of these we want to provide a signed performance for deaf audiences.
The Role
We are looking for someone with theatre marketing experience / interest to research how we can best reach deaf families in the Southwest. We would like recommendations on 1) which groups to contact, 2) how best to contact them, including how we can best use our website. We would also like the person in post to market the Lyme Regis performances to deaf groups in Dorset. We are working with an interpreter during rehearsals in April so we would be able to provide some signed descriptions of the show online. Full support will be given by the team leader, plus a day of BSL interpreter time can be provided to support this work.
Payment for this work is £500 on a self employed basis, including any fuel expenses.
Please contact Sarah Butterworth on sarah@emeraldant.com by April 10th
March 28th 2022
We are excited to announce success in receiving funds from the Arts Council and Dorset Council to re-work our outdoor theatre show, The Iguanodon Restaurant. Over the next few months we will be bringing in fresh performers Vic Llewelyn and Jacob Aldcroft. We are also bringing in sign language for deaf audiences, and developing a brand new “Iggy Experience” for special schools. Our next performance will be at Lyme Regis Fossil Festival on May 7th.
December 6th 2021
Emerald Ant has been commissioned by Somerset County Council to run arts programmes in 8 schools in Bridgwater and Somerset. We are partnering with FUSE Performance to deliver ‘ Inside Out’; a series of small group activities in which children share their experiences of the Covid pandemic, and gain strength by creating together.
October 13th 2021
Since March 2021 Emerald Ant has been busy working with schools in Dorset, putting on celebratory events for children and families. We have delivered three projects, the Bluebell Project in a West Dorset woodland, and Magnificent Mill in Sturminster Newton and Wimborne, celebrating two very special, unique places. 366 children and 56 school staff have made art and music, each attending 2 day workshops.
June 17th 2021
Magnificent Mill is about to start at Sturminster Newton!
With funding from Dorset Performing Arts Fund, Dorset Council and Arts Council England, Emerald Ant is about to engage children from William Barnes Primary and Yewstock Special Schools in a special programme of hands on art and music. Additional community workshops will be run at weekends.
July 18th will see a wonderful outdoor celebration with children’s art adorning the mill and the banks of the Stour. Percussion workshops will lead to a special performance inspired by the sounds and rhythms of the mill.
Another celebratory project will be taking place at Walford Mill this Autumn.
Watch this space for more information!
June 2nd 2021
On Saturday families in west Dorset spent a magical day in the woods at our Bluebell Day Out
Parents – Are you home schooling due to Coronavirus? Find our earth science pack for Key Stage 2 here and an arty woodland pack here.
Please send your comments on our contacts page. If you need help email me on sarah@emeraldant.com
Horace will be visiting Shepton Mallet this Saturday 7th March, at ‘All the World’s Our Playground’.
Fed up with the rain?! Get your swimming gear on and come out to see Horace at Adventure Wonderland this half term…
CHRISTMAS LANTERN WORKSHOP – NOV 30TH 10 AM – 2PM,
CATTISTOCK VILLAGE HALL
Part of the Bluebell Project
Parents must work with children under 12. Bring a snack and dress for mess!
£8 per lantern.
PLEASE BOOK: SARAH@EMERALDANT.COM
Our theatre show ‘The Iguanodon Restaurant’ will be performing in Brewery Square, Dorchester, on Tuesday the 27th August. Free, fun, fossil-fuelled performances at 11.30 and 2.30.
After then, as part of the IF Festival we will be at the Westgate Shopping Centre in Oxford on 19th October. Performance times to be confirmed. https://if-oxford.com/
Horace will be visiting Princesshay Shopping Centre in Exeter on Wednesday 21st to 23rd August. Performance times are 11.30 – 1 pm and 2 – 3.30. Come and join the fun!
Horace the Pliosaur gets a dental examination at Geronimo Festival last weekend.
A Bluebell Project workshop takes place on May 18th. For more details go to the at the Bluebell page
Spring Art Workshops
March 9th and 10th (2019). Thank you to all that came. More workshops will happen soon!
We’re performing Iggy in Crystal Palace Park again this weekend, Sept 15th & 16th. We’ll be right by the original Crystal Palace Dinosaurs. Iggy will be reunited with his Dad! Saturday and Sunday at 12.30 and 3 pm. Freeeeeeeeeeee!!
Iggy will be performing on Saturday at the Etches Collection, Kimmeridge. Shows at 12.30 and 2pm
Iguanodon Restaurant – Our performance details for August!
Etches Collection, Kimmeridge, Dorset – August 11th, 12.30 and 2pm
Folkestone Museum, August 21st, 12.30 and 2.30 pm
Hastings Museum, 22nd August, 11.30 and 2 pm
All performances are free to attend, supported by museums and the Arts Council. Check out museums websites for details of additional activities on these days.
Horace will be performing at Bridgwater Quayside Festival on Saturday, 21st July.
Announcing our Summer Tour!!!
Iggy will be performing this summer at…
St Katherine’s Primary School, Bournemouth – 16th April
Atlantic College, Portland – 22nd May
Turlin Moor Community School, Poole – 5th June
Whitehorse Primary School, London – 11th and 12th June
Ecclesbourne Primary School – 13th June
Cypress Primary School – 15th June
Crystal Palace Festival – 16th June
St Simon Stock School, Maidstone – 29th June
Brenchley Gardens, Maidstone – 30th June
Etches Collection, Kimmeridge – 11th August
Folkestone Museum – 21st August
Hastings Museum – 22nd August
Heritage Open Days, Crystal Palace Park – 15th and 16th September
Thanks to the Arts Council of England, Heritage Lottery Fund and our partner museums, schools and supporters.
Geology-history arts workshops will be run at all schools.
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Horace deal for Jurassic Coast schools!
Horace the Pliosaur will come and visit your school for a special Dippy Discount rate this Summer Term. He will be hosted by his groom Joe. Children will get to brush his teeth, learn about Deep Time, the Pliosaur’s age and habitat. Then they will handle local fossils and take a quick tour inside his belly. All children (up to around 350) can get the ‘Horace Experience’ in the one day.
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Iggy makes lots of new friends at Camp Bestival… “I loved the fascinated children’s faces watching in awe” (Festival organiser)
July 17th and 23rd – Mary Anning, Professors Buckland and Cuvier celebrate the brand new Anning Wing at Lyme Regis Museum..
Great News – Emerald Ant has secured £1900 from the Ernest Cook Trust for our Learning Programme in schools!
Over the next two years Emerald Ant will be performing The Iguanodon Restaurant in school playgrounds and running arts/geology workshops in 10 schools from Devon to London.
Also supporting the Learning Programme is the Fine Family Foundation, West Dorset District Council and the Palaeontological Association.
Upcoming Performances
Horace the Pliosaur
17–18 June: Vivacity, Peterborough Heritage Festival
The Iguanodon Restaurant
28–30 July: Camp Bestival
See us on social media…
