urban wilderness cic

event producers

Urban Wilderness are Laurel Gallagher, Isla Telford and Jenny Harper; three women with a driving belief that place-based creative interventions can make significant changes personally, environmentally and economically.

They are the Event Producers for Longton Carnival & Pig Walk Parade, responsible for creative direction, funding, organising and management.

Shademakers UK

parade costume, puppetry & movement directors

Shademakers UK are world-leaders in large scale ‘kinetic costumes’. They have performed in the Queen’s Jubilee parade and London Olympics 2012 opening ceremony. They are based on the Isle of Wight.

Last year, they designed and made Jolly the Pig for Longton Pig Walk. This year, we’ve invited them back to Longton to bring incredible costumes and movement skills.

www.shademakersuk.org

Danny Shaw

parade music director

Danny Shaw is a drummer, musical director, session performer, and composer based in Stoke-on-Trent at his studios in Hanley. 

Danny returns to Pig Walk ‘24 with a newly composed score. He is working alongside Ben Oakes on brass direction to bring a 20-strong parade band for Pig Walk ‘24.

We have more to announce, we can’t wait.

www.dannyshawdrums.com

deborah rogers

lead parade costume & performer

Deborah Rogers is a mixed media visual & performative artist. As MsDmeanar she experiments with performance and as Debbie Doodar she fabricates costumes and props from reclaimed items.

Deborah is exploring Becoming Animal looking at transformation and menopause.

Urban Wilderness aim to re-purpose previously made carnival costumes donated from Shademakers UK. Deborah has taken on the challenge of transforming these into the Park Animal for 2024 Pig Walk.

www.instagram.com/msdmeanar/

kristoffer huball

lead parade performer & direction support

Kris Huball is a professional movement director, performer and puppeteer for film, television, street and stage. He is a graduate of the L’Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq.

Kris was Creative Director on our first Pig Walk Parade in 2023, and we’re thrilled that he’ll be back to lead Parade again in 2024.

www.kristofferhuball.com

richard redwin

Lead parade costume & Performer

Richard Redwin is a puppet maker and 3D artist with a decade of experience as a visual artist, workshop leader, maker and performer. He founded Red Thing Creations to design, build and operate of giant mechanical puppets to wow and amaze.

Richard has been commissioned to make a new giant puppet for the 2024 Pig Walk Parade!

red_thing_creations

Sarah Bonam

production support

Sarah Bonam is a freelance Arts & Heritage Consultant and co-director of Stoke based arts company Letting in the Light. She has been responsible for many large events and installations in Stoke-on-Trent, including the Golden sculpture in Tunstall by Wolfgang Buttress.

Sarah is supporting Urban Wilderness to produce Longton Carnival & Pig Walk Parade.

lettinginthelight

Daby Obiechefu

Creative Facilitator & Maker

Multidisciplinary fine artist Daby Obiechefu has been working with Urban Wilderness for the past year. Alongside Blythe Taylor, she supports Urban Wilderness to run creative workshops at The Moony Club for the people of Longton & Stoke-on-Trent to create amazing street decorations and carnival props for Pig Walk.

www.instagram.com/dabart._/

Blythe Taylor

Creative Facilitator & Maker

Multidisciplinary fine artist Blythe Taylor has been working with Urban Wilderness for over 18 months and supported the inaugural Pig Walk Parade in 2023. Alongside Daby Obiechefu, she supports Urban Wilderness to run creative workshops at The Moony Club for the people of Longton & Stoke-on-Trent to create amazing street decorations and carnival props for Pig Walk.

www.airspacegallery.org/index.php/2020/artist/taylor

Christina Foster

Carnival Costume & Inflatable Maker

Christina is a seamstress and pattern cutter with a flair for large scale original construction.

She joins the creative team to revive donated Carnival costumes and design and make new large scale pieces for the 2024 parade.

Holly Johnson

Schools Workshop Support

Holly is a creative workshop facilitator and emerging costume maker. She is a traditional felt blocker and maker and founded Hojo Hattery, based at The Block in Longton Exchange Shopping Centre.

Holly is creating carnival costumes with Clarice Cliff Primary School ready for the Pig Walk!

www.hojohattery.com

Keep It Local

Artisan Market Curators

Keep It Local supports over 150 small creative businesses on their mission to change spending habits to get more people shopping on their local High Street and to support local creatives. They run pop up retail events and have their permanent shop in the Longton Exchange.

With their network of local creative businesses, Keep It Local are bringing an Artisan Market to Longton Carnival in the Longton Exchange Cultural Quarter.

https://keepitlocalshop.co.uk/

Lindsey Vigurs

Creative Intern

Lindsey Vigurs is an autistic and neuroqueer, disabled artist living in Stoke on Trent. Her background is in printmaking and illustration. 

In 2023 Lindsey Co-Founded DEAD GOOD Community Interest Company with her sister, Dr Katy Vigurs. DEAD GOOD facilitates imaginative eco-conscious deathwork and death education in the community.

Lindsey has joined the team as Creative Intern to get hands on experience of producing the Carnival & Parade for 2024!

www.deadgood.org

Tom Addis

Sign Painter

Tom Addis has years of experience producing high quality, hand-painted murals and signage in a huge variety of styles.

Tom is creating bright and colourful oversized PIG WALK letters for Longton Carnival. Look out for them for a brilliant photo opportunity on 21st April!

moon-creative.com