Clive Chandler's Tip Top Puppets

Company Profile

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Clive Chandler is one of a very few full time professional puppeteers in England. As a performer he presents some 400 shows every year - and has been doing so for more than 20 years. He has a reputation for delivering high quality performances in a variety of settings. Although he is best known for his work with children, he has directed major adult projects such as the ground breaking anglo-portuguese Tempestade, featuring glass puppetry and glass music. On the other end of the scale is a well know performer of traditional glove puppets shows, including Punch and Judy. His latest piece of puppetry for older children and adults - The Dragon of Krakow - was launched in April 2011. He has directed a number of international puppet theatre projects and has worked as the artistic director of many puppet festivals - most notably the Dynamics International Puppet Festival in 2005, 2007 and 2009 - England's biggest puppet festival. He was a founder member and director of PuppetLink Ltd, a registered charity promoting the art of puppetry, and is currently chair of PuppeteersUK - the national networking organisation for the artform. He is a commitee member of The Punch and Judy Fellowship and a fellow of the highly esteemed Punch and Judy College of Professors He has appeared at numerous festivals at home and abroad - including Hungary, Slovakia, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Austria As well as his own personal work, he has a talented team who help him deliver a range of work particularly in street settings where he offers giant dancing puppets with live music and also a highly unusual performance - The Rickshaw. He is also England's most experienced programmer of international puppetry - both for Children and Adults and through the many festivals he has organised developed contacts with a wide range of artists around the world. Clive Chandler lives in Birmingham in the West Midlands region of England Taking Punch to Portugal - Alcobaca

Tempestade 2008 creating music from glass Cutting Edge Contemporary Theatre Glass Puppets Original Music from Crystal and Plate glass Shadow Theatre on a cinematic scale

Current Project 'Tempestade' is a new production directed by Clive Chandler based on The Tempest by Shakespeare.  It is Shadow Theatre on a cinematic scale and involves real time manipulation of a range of objects to cast gaint shadows across a large screen.  It is presented by ten performers including two musicians playing a specially commissioned score on glass instruments.  Many of the puppets are also made of glass.  The project has been funded to date by Arts Council England, Gulbenkian Foundation and PRS foundation.  The premier was at the International Festival of Glass in Stourbridge England and it was then performed at the invitation of Marinha Grande council in Portugal - where it received a standing ovation. In 2009 it formed part of the programme of Dynamics 09 - England's biggest international puppet festival.