May
11
Pif-Paf Newletter – MAY 2023
Read the full scoop with the link below…
https://mailchi.mp/8c2223f11eb3/pif-paf-spring-2022-newsletter-lights-action-6037459
Pif-Paf curated : A community celebration of music, light & joy.
Meersbrook, Sheffield SAT Feb 4th 2023
A film by: Jake Barrett
Delivered with funding from Arts Council England Lottery Funding
Featuring:
Community Making in windows and lanterns
3 Street Bands (Mini, Junior & Adult) ‘Cliffe Jumpers’
‘Moths At Work – Moon‘ Pif-Paf
‘Woodland Animal Lanterns’ A Bird in the Hand Theatre
Big Thanks to all those involved:
Sara Blackburn: Community Project Manager
Sammi Gabb: Production Manager
Dan Johnstone from Sheffield Music Hub: Leader of the Junior Jumpers
Ford Collier: Leader of the Mini CJs
Alison Duddle & A bird in the Hand Theatre: Woodland animals
Nats Bellingham & Charlie Hammond as the Moths
The volunteer marshalls who kept the streets safe
Kopi & Chai: Event hub
The Cliffe Jumpers: Chiv Charvet, Johanna Jardine, Lotte Bennet, Sally RowanTree, Steve Fotios, Wookie, Rupert and Pete
A Plus Medical Services for the just in case, Rachael Walton for evaluation skills and the local S8 community that came out and celebrated with us from their front gardens, doorsteps and street.
What a lovely time.
Pete has a fantastic 3 days as a “facilitator provocateur” at @nofit_state_circus #circusvillage he got to meet and play with some stone cold LEGENDS of UK circus!
Somehow ended up leading a engineering/modelmaking session that became the rigging team, building a mini big top, and helping Gabbie Clarke develop an idea around chinese pole kit.
Such a great team and company culture in the NoFit compound – leading by example! Thank you
https://www.instagram.com/p/CqJRP63IT66/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Pif-Paf are a Theatre and Artistic Installation company touring the UK and beyond and based in Sheffield. We are preparing for a one off event on Feb 4th 2023 4-6pm where 2 street theatre acts and 2 street bands will march around the neighbourhood of Cliffefield Road, Sheffield to bring joy and light to houses that we hope will be decorated to draw them in. We have permissions and safety planning in place – the activity will be along pavements.
We want to recruit an experienced youth music worker for a short contact. We have a plan to recruit members of the community but we do not know what this will bring but we need the music worker confirmed. Numbers wise we are looking at 6-10 young people. Age range is focussing 9-12 years but not exclusively.
Job Specification
Essential:
- Experience of and love for working with Childrens/Young peoples ensembles
- Ability to work with percussion and melody
- Enjoy being outdoors
- up to date DBS
Preferred:
- Street band experience
- Access to a stock of appropriate instruments (we have a hire budget)
The vision is a version of a Second Line band balancing quality of output with quality of experience and expertise of participants with making it accessible. We want joy, noise and pride in what they achieve.
(There will also be an adults community band out on the night)
Fee: Minimum 3 rehearsal sessions, 1 performance, 1 preparation all @ £100 = £500
Potential extra sessions depending on how instruments and arrangements need organising.
Dates/timescales:
- The event is SAT 4th February 2023
- 3 rehearsals are assumed to be either after school or sat afternoon – One a week running up to the event.
- Recruitment of the band participants starts on a mini light walk on 13th Dec.
We encourage application from all backgrounds. Please send a CV and covering letter and any links to mail@pif-paf.co.uk — or just ring Pete on 07931 339 161 if you have any questions.
This will be a fair but informal recruitment process – Deadline for applicants 3rd Nov 2022.
https://eleanorhooper.bandcamp.com/
| As the first of 5 releases this year it’s great let you know the sound track for our new Sound and Light Sculpture Sunshines on the Fallen Tree is released on Bandcamp and all the rest for you to listen to and download. Composed and performed by Eleanor and Kate Griffin this 12 minute piece is inspired by movements of a requiem – a meditation and homage to the Ash tree in its decline and the sunshine and energy in the woodland glade when a large tree falls. It blends Eleanors trademark ethereal vocals and Kates exquisite musicianship – in a beautiful moving collaboration. This is Eleanor’s first release so get your headphones or turn up the hi-fi and head over to the link below & share, support and follow her. Any proceeds from downloads will support Eleanor and Kate to make new compositions… https://eleanorhooper.bandcamp.com/ Thanks to Sam Proctor at Lismore Mastering, Ric Booth and James Barlow at Three Galleys for mixing and to Daniel Weaver for being a wise councillor. Keep your ears peeled for more releases… |
Patrick Soul “A beautiful, lush, spacious meditative journey. Very nice!”
Apr
07
Yep, the rumours are true. We finally managed a 2022 update for you all.
“Hello World!
We’ve made Sunshine On The Fallen Tree, toured Moths At Work Moon and Lightbulb. Celestial Sound Cloud and Bee Cart have hit the road, SEED and the Cycles are waiting in the wings and we’re resting TOAST to rise again in 2023.
Eleanor and Pete are wrapping up their DYCPs and we’re cooking up new ideas for neighbourhood touring. As ever check out our touring as it grows… “
Not yet on our mailing list, but want to be?
Our brand new commission opened Friday 11th March at @wentworth_woodhouse as part of the ‘We Wonder Noir’ event – It was one of many brilliant peices that lit up this amazing Grade I listed building.
| This new sound and light installation, celebrates the Ash tree, asks us what we need to do in the face of challenges and is the start of a new body of work mixing sustainability with more tech. We’ve made an idea we’ve been brewing for 3 years and taken our interactive sound and light tech collaboration with Vasthu to the next level. The sound track is a beautiful 12 minute composition by Eleanor and Kate Griffin who have been working together on Eleanor’s DYCP and the sculpture was supported by Pete’s DYCP learning how to use steam bent Ash to make outdoor light work then manage and develop the tech. We are gathering co-commissioners to support making this R&D version more enveloping (ie bigger) so please do let us know if this sounds inviting. The future will see us using these techniques to make a distributed but centrally animated installation. |
#SunShinesOnTheFallenTree#SSFT#SteamBentAsh#steambending@andersontreecare#ashdieback#lightinstallations
Today Pif-Paf’s guide to Neighbourhood Touring has launched, it is available to download via the Outdoor Arts UK website or link below.
Its been a busy few months, but in his ‘spare’ time Pete has penned this guide, which we hope will be useful should you embark along a similar path. The process was all new to us last year and we very much learnt along the way.
Shout out to the lovely folk who contributed to the piece: @Sammi Gabb; Justine Squires (Corvus Angelicus); Matt Pang (The Happy Heart Bike); Musical Ruth (Circo Rum Ba Ba); Stella Hall (Festival of Thrift); Kat Boon (Appetite); Chanti Hobbit (Can’t Sit Still and Stuff and Nonsense); Dan Fox (Sound Intervention Ltd.); Jude Jagger (Quays Culture), and Barra Collins (LAStheatre).
We’d love to hear from you about how your experiences, challenges and solutions differed from ours, feel free to contact us.
Jul
28
Pete wrote a blog post all about Neighbourhood Touring.
“Finding audiences at home, experiencing their joy at someone giving a damn about them and their street, crashing birthday parties and school runs, it was all very magical.”
Read it in full here…
Big thanks to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and Stellar Projects for making this project possible.
We have some confirmed dates! To perfom, outside to actual humans. It’s very exciting.
The Bee Cart will be visiting, RHS Wisley on 29th & 30th May and RHS Bridgewater on 31st May & 1st June.
The Bee Cart will be performing 3 walk-about sets per day outside in the fresh air, discussing and engaging in all things Bees and Pollination.
RHS Bridgewater is set to open its doors for the very first time this May, its set to be a spectacular 154-acre garden, transforming the historic grounds of Worsley New Hall in Salford into a beautiful green place for the local community and visitors to enjoy all year-round, we’re thrilled to be part of their half term entertainment.