Photos by Ant and Rhys Robling
Iron People’s grand finale performance at Eureka! was a huge success…
On Saturday 26 April, we were proud to deliver a truly spectacular finale to our Iron People project, marking the culmination of Calderdale’s Year of Culture.
Hundreds of families gathered outside Eureka! The National Children’s Museum to experience a vibrant, moving performance created with communities across the borough. Accompanied by a powerful live soundtrack from Elland Silver Band, three giant puppet creatures – crafted by Thingumajig Theatre from recycled materials and based on designs by local children and illustrator Chris Mould – took to the stage, carrying an urgent message to protect our planet.
The performance celebrated the creativity and passion of Calderdale’s communities, drawing inspiration from the environmental themes in Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man and The Iron Woman. Our very own Park Youth Theatre performed in the young company – it was only their second ever time performing in front of a crowd!
We caught up with some of our young cast after the show, who said:
💬 “It was very joyful, I had a wonderful time with my friends performing, it was a great thing to perform.”
💬 “I feel proud of myself, I never performed on a stage with thousands of people watching me!”
Thank you to EVERYONE involved in making Iron People such a success. There are a lot of you! The message behind this show is an important one. When everyone – even the youngest of voices – come together to challenge injustice, real change is possible.
And remember… “We clean, we care, we share the air!”
This project was funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, CultureDale, Community Foundation for Calderdale’s Community Grants for Climate Action Fund, Calderdale Council’s Culture Fund, the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Tracy Brabin Mayor of West Yorkshire’s Safer Communities Fund, and The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation.
