Giant Puppets Invite People To Celebrate England's High Streets This Summer

This summer, a curious fox called Farrah will embark on a journey across the country to explore and celebrate high streets, as well as the people who love and look after them. Created in partnership with Emergency Exit Arts, Farrah is a 5-metre tall mechanical puppet of a young fox who will travel the country on her scooter, bringing a touch of carnival and free street parties to seven high streets. Taller than a double decker bus, Farrah has been designed by Tony Mason and will be animated by two puppeteers from the inside. The commission is also supported using public funding by Arts Council England.

Hi! Street Fest is Historic England's largest and final commission as part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zones' Cultural Programme, the widest-reaching, community-led arts and heritage programme for the public that has ever been organised. To date, 300,000 people have attended nearly 20,000 cultural events on their high street. It is led by Historic England in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to revitalise high streets across England.

With resilience in her genes, Farrah the fox has adapted to live in a changing environment and will spark the question in each town she visits: how can high streets do the same? At each high street party Farrah will meet a different largescale puppet, which have been created by each community in collaboration with puppet makers Thingumajig Theatre.

These host puppets represent and celebrate the individuality of their own high street and will welcome Farrah to learn about the heritage of each location. Taking the form of street parties and parades, these vibrant celebrations led by Artistic Director Manuela Benini will take place in seven locations across England: Lowestoft, Gloucester, Wigan, Gosport, Middlesbrough and Stalybridge, culminating in Woolwich. From Bhangra to brass bands, roller skaters to street dancers, sea shanties to samba bands, community choirs and carnival troupes will join together for these moments of celebration.

Hi! Street Fest is an ambitious project, aiming to bring together people and place to support bright futures for high streets. Across the country, Hi! Street Fest will engage more than 5,000 people in the development of these events, with thousands of hours of community participation through outreach and workshops.

High Streets Heritage Action Zones' Cultural Programme

The High Streets Heritage Action Zones' Cultural Programme is drawing people to their high streets, changing their perceptions of their local areas and helping them to feel more part of their community. To date it has reached 300,000 people, provided 3,305 artist in residence days, 776 artworks and installations, 86,857 volunteer hours and counting.

As a result of attending previous cultural events, 66% of audiences feel more part of their community and 83% of people feel more positive that the high street is a place where they can experience culture and arts.

This project aims to reimagine the high street, attract visitors and bring people together to celebrate each high street's different culture. Our research found that 64% of audiences said previous cultural activity as part of this programme was the main reason they visited their high street, and that 80% of audiences visited local shops, cafes and businesses before or after they attended the cultural programme activity.

Previous events have resulted in 79% of people having a greater sense of pride of the high street and local area. Hi! Street Fest aims to continue this work, encouraging the long-term development of locally-driven creativity in each area and increasing opportunities for people to visit and to engage with their high streets.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: "Our high streets aren't just places to shop - they are places where we can come together and celebrate, to have parties and enjoy carnivals. This is what Hi! Street Fest is all about and as the finale to our High Streets Heritage Action Zones' Cultural Programme, it will be our largest cultural event to-date.

"We know that cultural events on our high streets increase a sense of pride in local places, encourage people to visit their high streets and connect with their local community. That's why these projects are so crucial. A giant fox on a scooter visiting six locally-created puppets to celebrate the identity and history of high streets is not something to be missed!"

Daniel Bernstein, CEO of Emergency Exit Arts, said: "Emergency Exit Arts has been co-creating with communities for 43 years. We are loving working on this important national project in close partnership with Historic England. Hi! Street Fest has given hundreds of local people new opportunities in each place to get engaged in putting these events on in their high street and help make a real long-term difference to their place.

We are so excited to bring spectacle in the puppet form of Farrah, but also excited about the development opportunities for local people to put on more events in their place. In each place, we have trained community producers, developed carnival bands and helped each place determine their own special host mascot puppet who we hope will make appearances for years to come. This is what EEA does best: enabling people, enhancing places and astonishing audiences."

Farrah the Fox will be visiting: Lowestoft on Saturday 17 June, Gloucester on Saturday 1 July, Wigan on Saturday 8 July, Gosport on Saturday 22 July, Middlesbrough on Saturday 29 July, Stalybridge on Saturday 9 September, and Woolwich on Friday 22 September.