New Puppet Theatre Space Vandalized, Handmade Puppets Damaged

A recently established puppet theatre venue experienced vandalism shortly after achieving its fundraising goal. Moving Parts Arts, the organization behind Newcastle’s Puppetry Festival since 2017, was preparing to inaugurate its permanent location within a former AA call centre situated in Elswick. However, on Tuesday, artistic director Kerrin Tatman discovered that the assortment of handmade puppets within the new premises had been either damaged or destroyed. A significant number of these puppets originated from workshops conducted in schools, care homes, and with various community groups. Kerrin stated that these items “represent the love and creativity of so many children and members of our community”. Kerrin commented, “It was heartbreaking to see so many carefully crafted pieces thrown about and stamped on.” She added, “These are not things you can put a price on in monetary terms.” This dedicated venue is intended to facilitate an increase in community workshops and provide supplementary performances in conjunction with the yearly puppetry festival. Moving Parts Arts reported that its April festival this year attracted over 28,000 participants throughout Newcastle. Nevertheless, the organization was already contemplating a reduction in its 2025 program due to the increasing difficulty in “more difficult to secure funding”. Margaret Pinder, who chairs Moving Parts Arts’ board of charity trustees, described the incident as “such a thoughtless and cruel act of vandalism.” She further remarked, “Funding for the arts is getting tighter every year.” Pinder concluded by saying, “Kerrin and the team work so hard and the trustees are proud of their terrific contribution to the arts scene here in Newcastle.” Despite this unfortunate event, plans are still on track to open the puppet theatre space in April, aligning with the 2025 festival.