Theatre-Rites Marks 30th Anniversary With Immersive Dance-Puppetry Adventure

Celebrated for its experimental work for young audiences, Theatre-Rites will premiere its new immersive production of Return to the Forest as the centrepiece of its 30th anniversary celebrations, continuing three decades of pioneering imaginative, multi-sensory theatre. The work marks Theatre-Rites' second collaboration with award-winning South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma, after The Global Playground (2021) and will make its world premiere at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, who also run the biennial Manchester International Festival (MIF). Return to the Forest is co-commissioned with Sadler's Wells and co-produced by Factory International

Return to the Forest invites audiences into a museum where treasured objects begin to stir after closing time, leading a handful of remaining visitors into a wild, enchanted forest. Blending Maqoma's high-energy movement with Artistic Director Sue Buckmaster's signature puppetry, the production offers a playful and thought-provoking experience for children aged 8+ and their families, exploring what we value and how we care for it. Following earlier Manchester collaborations including The Global Playground (MIF21), Tree (MIF19) and The Welcoming Party (MIF17), Maqoma and Theatre-Rites reunite to create an immersive world where dance, puppets and imagination combine in a tale of curiosity, transformation and connection.

Alongside Return to the Forest, the company's 30th anniversary year will feature a wide-ranging programme celebrating Theatre-Rites' legacy of experimentation and its commitment to artist development and participatory practice. This includes professional workshops led by Sue Buckmaster and long-term collaborators, as well as an engagement programme for Greater Manchester residents that incorporates mask-making and masquerade movement workshops in Manchester, as well as masquerade movement workshops in London. A number of participants will then join the company as audience 'guides' within Return to the Forest.

The celebrations will also feature a late-summer tour of Eshu at the Crossroads, the company's outdoor production created with Afro-Cuban choreographer Miguel Altunaga-a tale of choice, trickery and joy that follows dancers and a puppeteer as they encounter an enchanted crossroads, blending dance, puppetry and music in a family-friendly adventure for ages 4+.

A major strand of the anniversary will unfold in Blackpool, where Theatre-Rites will lead a year-long participatory programme in partnership with Blackpool Grand and Blackpool & Fylde College. Supported by the John Thaw Foundation, the Victoria Wood Foundation, the Leche Trust, the Austin Hope Pilkington Trust, Creative Blackpool, Arts Council England and the Goldsmiths Foundation, the programme will begin with intensive workshops for young local artists and teacher training that connects school activity with the themes of Return to the Forest and Eshu at the Crossroads. The company will also rehearse a new end-on staging of Return to the Forest for performances at Blackpool Grand. Throughout the year, Theatre-Rites will share stories from past collaborators, present a public conversation around its 2021 publication Animating Puppets, Objects & Sites, and release archival material and children's responses to early work, together forming a celebration of "how we got to 30" while looking ahead to the company's next chapter.

Director of Return to the Forest and Artistic Director of Theatre-Rites Sue Buckmaster said, "I am so proud that Theatre-Rites has reached its 30th year. As our name suggests, we create theatrical rituals that celebrate connectivity between children and adults, community and individuality, and humans and nature. Now more than ever, it is essential to emphasise the importance of creativity in our lives. We have always fought for children's right to experience art of the highest quality, and it has not always been easy. Nothing gives me more hope than seeing a child respond to our work, knowing it has taken months of creativity from some of the best practicing artists around. Making and experiencing art nurtures all that is beneficial to us; it is not a luxury, but something children know they need and adults need reminding of. Return to the Forest is a perfect example of Theatre-Rites' practice, and I am delighted that it is at the heart of our anniversary year."

Theatre-Rites is an award-winning leader in experimental theatre for children, recognised nationally and internationally for its imaginative touring and site responsive productions. The company has created over 30 theatre-based and immersive productions for children and families in the UK and internationally. Committed to intercultural collaboration and working across disciplines, Theatre-Rites presents children with striking, contemporary imagery while placing audiences at the heart of each experience to foster a sense of agency. Notable productions include Mischief (TMA Award, Achievement in Dance), Houseworks, The Lost and Moated Land, Journey of a Refugee (ETTIE Award; OFFIE Award), Zoe's Peculiar Journey Through Time, and Paradise. Theatre-Rites Puppets, Objects & Sites (published 2021) was written by Dr Sue Buckmaster and Dr Liam Jarvis.

Sue Buckmaster is the Artistic Director of Theatre-Rites, a puppetry expert and the fifth generation of theatre practitioners in her family. She is known for her unique puppet whispering technique and her work is celebrated for its use of Animism. She has directed over 30 theatre and site-specific productions for Theatre-Rites including The Welcoming Party and The Global Playground (MIF 2017/2021) and Mischief (Sadler's Wells and Dance Touring Consortium). She also works as a mentor, dramaturg and external director and has collaborated with other companies including directing Chotto Desh and Chotto Xenos for the Akram Khan Dance Company.