Swallows and Amazons Foyer Installation - Photographs, 2012
Title
Swallows and Amazons Foyer Installation - Photographs, 2012
Date
7 February 2012
Description
Photographs of Theatre Royal foyer installation by artist Stephen Jon and children from Huntingdon Primary School, St. Anns to recreate Wildcat Island from Swallows and Amazons.
What's the story?
From week beginning 7 February 2012 the Theatre Royal presented Bristol Old Vic’s touring production of Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundsson.
To celebrate this production, the Theatre Royal’s Creative Learning department commissioned local artist Stephen Jon to work with children from Huntingdon Primary School in St Ann’s Nottingham to recreate Wildcat Island in the Lake District, the area that the novel is based around, in the Theatre Royal foyer.
Working at both the school and in the theatre, Stephen and the children created a whole campsite, as well as Swallows and Amazons bunting that adorned the entire foyer. Floralands Garden Centre in Lambley loaned trees and bark to provide the finishing touches. This space was then available for the public to sit and play in during the run of the show.
The pictures below show this temporary foyer space. The final pictures reveal the space as it normally is before this transformation and artist Stephen Jon preparing the walls.
During the run of the play a visitors’ book was installed in this foyer space for audience comments, which proved to be really positive …
“The seating area is brilliant”
“It looks very brill! Very nature-ish”
“I think your island is really good and creative”
“I think your island is great and lots of fun”
“I think that your island is creative, artistic, fascinating and colourful”
“Very adventurous”
“Very realistic”
“It is immense”
“Imaginative use of a space”
“A brilliant idea”
“Fantastic. Incredibly real”
To celebrate this production, the Theatre Royal’s Creative Learning department commissioned local artist Stephen Jon to work with children from Huntingdon Primary School in St Ann’s Nottingham to recreate Wildcat Island in the Lake District, the area that the novel is based around, in the Theatre Royal foyer.
Working at both the school and in the theatre, Stephen and the children created a whole campsite, as well as Swallows and Amazons bunting that adorned the entire foyer. Floralands Garden Centre in Lambley loaned trees and bark to provide the finishing touches. This space was then available for the public to sit and play in during the run of the show.
The pictures below show this temporary foyer space. The final pictures reveal the space as it normally is before this transformation and artist Stephen Jon preparing the walls.
During the run of the play a visitors’ book was installed in this foyer space for audience comments, which proved to be really positive …
“The seating area is brilliant”
“It looks very brill! Very nature-ish”
“I think your island is really good and creative”
“I think your island is great and lots of fun”
“I think that your island is creative, artistic, fascinating and colourful”
“Very adventurous”
“Very realistic”
“It is immense”
“Imaginative use of a space”
“A brilliant idea”
“Fantastic. Incredibly real”
Type
Photographs
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Contributor
Researcher: David Longford
