tva has been working with four schools from Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, to write and perform a puppet theatre performance entitled “Echoes of the Chapel”. The children worked with drama worker Bidi Iredale, a puppet maker Lorna Moon, set designer Rachel Willis of Bravura, animator Chris Kent and musician Tim Coyte, to devise and perform a multi art form performance, inspired by local heritage site, the Sir William Turner’s Hospital, Kirkleatham. The performances took place in December 2003.

The Sir William Turner’s Hospital, Kirkleatham, has a long history as a school and almshouse for local people, and the content of the drama piece, the original music, costumes and animations, reflected something of the lives of the people who have lived, studied, worked and prayed there over the years. The project provided an innovative learning experience for the children, enabling them to creatively engage with history. The magnificent design of the Chapel and the surrounding courtyard and houses, provided an atmospheric and moving backdrop for the children’s work.

The Trustees of the Hospice commented that

“the presentation was excellent, the conduct of the children exemplary”.