Creatives in Cornwall – Alister and Miranda at The Creation Works

HfC is celebrating creatives from across the duchy, shining a light on a vibrant and varied artistic landscape we’re proud to be part of. The HfC Husa programme nurtures the creative industries in Cornwall, providing support, workspace, talent development and career pathways for more than 400 Cornwall-based artists and sector colleagues.   

As they throw open the doors to The Creation Works, a brand-new space to rehearse and develop work in Par, we’re championing two powerhouses of creativity in Cornwall - Alister O’Loughlin and Miranda Henderson.  

Alister and Miranda head up Prodigal Theatre, an award-winning company that makes work which is ‘epic within a small frame’, and The Urban Playground Team, creating energetic and powerful Performance-Parkour work combining free-running and dance. The UPG Team has toured across five continents, teaching wherever they perform. They’ve pioneered revolutionary pieces that put both performer and participant centre stage and shared them with audiences on moving buses and stationary trains, on the roofs of London buildings and the decks of Danish boats.  

Miranda trained as a dancer in the UK and at the Duncan Conservatoire, Prague. Alister trained as an actor in the UK and as an apprentice of Dah Teatar, Belgrade. In 1999 they founded Prodigal Theatre to carve out new physical work inspired by classic texts.  

In 2006 their restless energy sparked their second ensemble, The Urban Playground Team, and between 2002 & 2010 they managed The Nightingale Theatre, Brighton, developing models of artist development. 

“From free running to opera, they cover an unusual – perhaps unique – number of bases… whatever Prodigal does is worth seeing"
Irish Independent

In 2017 the company moved to Cornwall with a vision to establish a new creation centre. Today, it opens. The Creation Works is a space to develop and rehearse work. Sustainability and accessibility are at the heart of the project, which will see artists from Cornwall and beyond forging new work together with the local community.

The Creation Works raises the creative bar for Cornwall and we're proud to have supported the project every step of the way.

Alister commented:

“Hall for Cornwall have supported as mentors - especially Julien Boast & Julie Caplin-Grey in terms of getting the project off the ground, and sharing expert knowledge. Then, during the build process, Simon Crick came to us as an advisory board member and has been attending site progress and design team meetings, lending huge amounts of expert advice and guidance, particularly around the installation of our lighting rig. He is now joining the board of trustees on a permanent basis and we cannot put a value on how significant his contribution has been, but we would not have made it to this point without him!”

Alister O'Loughlin photographed at Hall for Cornwall by HfC photographer in residence Hugh Hastings.

We asked the Prodigal team about who they are and their mission to bring creativity to Cornwall…

How did Prodigal Theatre begin?

Prodigal Theatre began in 1999 when the 2 of us founded a theatre company to make work that is 'epic within a small frame' establishing an award-winning reputation for physical adaptations of classic texts.

The Urban Playground Team began in 2005 with a project funded by Brighton & Hove Arts Commission (HfC CEO Julien Boast was its chair). It was meant to last for 3 weeks, but 20 years later our second ensemble is still going! We've developed the distinct choreographic language of Performance-Parkour, toured across 5 continents and on 10 occasions represented the country internationally for The British Council.

Why are you so passionate about bringing accessible arts and culture to Par?

Miranda grew up in St Austell and left Cornwall to find the opportunities that were not available here. We've spent our entire professional careers working with children & young people from underprivileged backgrounds and have always been committed to removing barriers to participation in the performing arts. We've set up The Creation Works to do that, here. When anyone asks 'Why Par?' we always respond 'Why not Par?'

What does being creatives in Cornwall mean to you?

As artists who lived away and travelled extensively, we always returned to Cornwall between gigs, but in 2017 made the decision to move for a more sustainable practice rooted in place. There was never any question of where that would be. Cornwall is home, and it's wonderful to make work that has a significance and supports the community where you live.

To find out more about The Creation Space and the work of Prodigal Theatre and the UPG Team, head to their website:
prodigalupg.com