A participatory video produced in association with Village Arts of the 1992 Carling How Gala. The film begins with children being helped to make decorative street puppets followed by them taking part in a procession through the East Cleveland village. On a show field several theatrical and acrobatic acts performing for the crowds both during the day and into the evening. Inside a workshop adults and children work together to construct the wireframes for several giant puppets and umbrellas....

A participatory video produced in association with Village Arts of the 1992 Carling How Gala. The film begins with children being helped to make decorative street puppets followed by them taking part in a procession through the East Cleveland village. On a show field several theatrical and acrobatic acts performing for the crowds both during the day and into the evening. Inside a workshop adults and children work together to construct the wireframes for several giant puppets and umbrellas. With one umbrella frame finished a girl begins to attach pieces of tissue paper over it. In another room a group of young girls rehearse a gymnastic routine that features them using hoops. Back in the workshop the children’s creations begin to take shape. [Blank] Outside St Helen’s Church on Rockcliffe View at Carlin How a procession featuring the children from the workshop stand ready to begin. The procession gets underway with the Newton Aycliffe Pipe Band leading the procession along Rockcliffe View followed by a decorative float containing the Carling How Gala Queen and other girls in colourful dresses. Behind the float a large banner for the Carlin How Gala followed by the children from the workshop in their costumes carrying their now completed puppets and decorative paper umbrellas. Behind them other groups, many in various fancy-dress, follow on behind including other decorative floats. The procession makes its way through Carling How passing the Skinningrove Steel Mills on Brotton Road with spectators watching from the pavement. The procession makes is way along several terraced streets in the village passing more spectators watching from doorways and alleys with the Gala Queen waving from her throne on the flatbed lorry. The Norton Pellairs and Blue Stars juvenile jazz bands parades along the street behind their respective banners. In a field a man rests some of the decorative puppets against trees and bushes while nearby children and adults in various fancy-dress costumes watch as a third juvenile jazz bands arrives on the show field. The Redcar Silverwood Band perform for the crowds who are wondering around the site. A group of adults with special needs perform a percussion routine following the lead of a woman acting as a conductor. Many of them are dressed as clowns and have their faced painted up. Now standing they perform a choreographed dance routine to Queens ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Another One Bites the Dust.’ Inside a catering tent women work making and selling hotdogs and hamburgers while outside a children’s entertainer puts on a magic show. He is followed by children sitting in front of ‘Llewellyn Punch and Judy’ waiting on the show to begin with the puppeteer calling on more people to come see his show. A group of judges look over individuals in various fancy-dress outfits with both adults and children wearing costumes that include clowns, gnomes and one man dressed as Worzel Gummidge. Around a table prizes laid out with two women preparing for a raffle draw by scrunching up tickets and placing them into a bucket. A handmade poster identifies the raffle cause as Kilton Thorpe School for children with special needs at Brotton. A woman drums up customers for her coconut shy, a man comes over and buys three balls. As some rest on the ground several children play with a series of decorative percussion instruments made from household objects. After a small girl attempts to play a trumpet, on the show ground the young girls featured earlier practicing gymnastics with hoops now perform for the crowds with music being provided by performers on the homemade percussion instruments. With the girls finishing their routine the music continues with the musicians performing their own routines alongside their instruments. A circus high-wire theatrical performance follows with actors, many in decorative costumes, performing from a wire suspended in the air between a metal frame. As part of the act, they work with fire. At night the decorative puppets and umbrellas seen in the parade through Carlin How are now lit up and are possibly being paraded around the darkened showground. Another acrobatic circus show taking place in the dark featuring performers juggling with fire torches. The show comes to an end and the performers come forward to give a bow.