About Us
A Hull & Humber region specialist in year round carnival & outdoor arts activity, rooted in intergenerational participation.
We co-create inclusive, joyful and memorable events that transform our relationship with the streets where we live, and our green spaces & parks, because the outdoors belongs to everyone and you are all invited to watch and play.
Through making and wearing vibrant transformative costumes we encourage people to leave their everyday self behind. We use movement and music, alongside our own spectacular larger than life puppets to breathe life into stories, and enhance any scale of celebration.
Our Mission
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Bringing the joy of carnival arts to new participants & audiences in the Humber region.
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Raising the aspirations of carnival artists, participants and audiences.
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Promoting skill sharing in carnival, procession and outdoor live arts.
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Developing local talent and skills within our team and the wider Humber carnival sector
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Enabling regional national and worldwide connections
Core Team
We are an experienced highly skilled team committed to encouraging a welcoming environment, with volunteers, artists and large numbers of empowered participants. Since 2014 we have been directing, and collaborating on funded projects, bespoke commissions, and delivering differing scales of events, including joined up approaches to event management. We offer flexible hireable services that come with a friendly face.
Liz Dees
Founder/Creative Director
Liz is a founder and director of Apus Productions since the company was established in 2007. Originally trained at the Chelsea College of Art and the London College of Fashion, she has worked as a costume designer and maker since 2001, on shows ranging from West End musicals to community operas. With Apus she now specialises in walkabout street theatre and giant puppetry.
Andy Ross
Operations Assistant Manager
Andy is a Hull based performer & theatre maker, and trained as a theatre maker at Hull.
Andy furthered his clowning training at The School of Lecoq, Phillippe Gauiler School and with Firenza Guidi (Artistic Director, No FIt State Circus) he has focused his training in clowning, puppetry, facilitating workshops in community engagement settings, drama workshops in mental health with low arts engagement.
Andy has played a part in Apus Productions participation and community engagement work with Hull Carnival Arts. Working on several carnivals in the past 4 years. Now working as Operations Assistant for the company with knowledge gained from many areas.
He has worked with numerous theatre companies in Hull furthering his skills in health & safety, stage management, set construction and performance. Companies including: Hull Truck Theatre, Hull New Theatre, Middle Child Theatre, Spin Off Productions, Silent Uproar, Ten Foot Dance.
He has created two clown shows independently in the past.He is now starting his MSc in psychology to help further his knowledge in how to help people understand themselves through the medium of arts.
Jade Wasling
Assistant Artist
Jade has specialised in arts workshops and leading of community engagement projects, since 2005.
She has developed skills in: Willow sculpture, foam sculpture, pattern work, street theatre costume and large carnival puppet design and making, carnival and street performance.
Her other skills include: set and prop design and making, carnival performance, street theatre, carnival costume, puppet design and making, devising choreography, puppet and stilt performance (Trained in stilt walking, dancing and acrobatic stilts with Carpet Bag Brigade physical theatre, California)
She has worked as a maker and performer in previous projects with Hull Carnival Arts since the World of Colour Parade in 2014.
Associate Artists
Ian Mitchell
Technical: Sound Lights and Electronics
Phil Codd
Musical Director Bandanrama
Ian advises on practical engineering solutions on large builds, lighting and sound systems, drawing on his 40 years industry experience as a mechanical and electrical engineer in nautical and GPS systems. He is an established, professional chartered electronic engineer who enjoys being involved in innovative outdoor arts projects.
Phil writes for any combination of sounds from acoustic instruments to electronic and mechanical sources. He has composed for film, musicals, video art and exhibition spaces, contemporary dance, literature festivals, documentaries, adverts, and theatre. He composed the brass band score for the multi-award winning comedy feature ’Best Little Whorehouse in Rochdale’ and also for John Godber’s feature ‘The Last Laugh’. He has been MD for Bandanarama since its inception and arranges their brass arrangements and direct all their rehearsals and performances.
Jon Beney
Troupe Choreographer
Jon is also an associate artist at Hull Truck Theatre and has collaborated with with Jeanifer Jean Charles, Walk the Plank, and the RSC on many mass outdoor shows. He is the Co Artistic director of Tenfoot dance company, and has performed internationally with Protein dance and Ballet Lorent.
Jon spent 4 years working with young offenders and those at risk of offending with Dance United, and has taught in many educational settings from early years to university degree courses.
His passion for teaching, dance and movement has led him to work with groups in Africa (Aduna Dance Ethiopia), Palestine (larjee Centre Bethlehem)
History
HCA were born out of the "World Of Colour Parade" which we produced in association with Walk the Plank at the Hull Freedom Festival in2014, with many years experience of working with people from all walks of life to make great Carnival Art in Hull and the Humber Region.