busy boo

I'm writing this from the cold but sunny doorway of the Boo. Today we're a polling station, so I've been here since 6.30 this morning welcoming neighbours into the building to do their civic duty. Of course, lots of people are coming who've never been here, and are really interested to get information about what we've got on. And then, of course, there are the few you'd expect to refuse information, already furious that they have to come into such a degenerate arty space to vote - hmmm...wonder how they'll be voting. Still, it's always fun to irritate people with a smile!

On Sunday we managed to squeeze in 90 people to see Angel Heart Theatre's Mazymeg and the Honeybees. The show was great, and people really loved staying around to look closely at the beautifully made puppets. Before the show the studio was heaving as usual with families making pollination crowns and little toy theatres full of bees and flowers. Long-time puppet enthusiast Dan (pictured above) made a fantastic scene inside a beehive, complete with honeycombs, larvae and a bee clock(!) with a pixie from the show paying a visit.

The space really was bursting at the seams again. Very welcome news, then that we've just got the first part of the funding towards expanding the space (wow - brilliant!). We do need to match-fund all of it (and then more besides), but ultimately it will enable us to seat far more people in shows, allow them to get a better view of the stage, expand the studio space for making activities, and provide access to the garden and the studio from the front of the building so that we can have more happening here.
Speaking of more happening...

On Friday 10th May Senegalese Kora player Doudou Cissoko will be performing here, and we're turning the theatre space into a place for dancing and toe-tapping. Sadly for me it coincides with my exciting  adventure to Ireland with Incredible Edible to look at community gardening in Cork. Then, two days later on May 12th  the whole building will be buzzing with our (sort of) annual Open Day. Lots of drop in activities, storytelling, works-in-progress. Should be a great day, and a brilliant opportunity for people to see all the usually off-limits parts of the building.

And so to news of Moominland Midwinter. Well, after a bit of a bumpy journey, it looks as though we have the go ahead to proceed with the show! WooHoo! So now lots and lots to make. First of all, some changes Moomin Characters ltd want me to make on the puppets already made, and then maybe a giant moomin. That would be cool.