The Moon & Fox Tour

Aim

To help get 3 productions on the road and around the UK!

I run HFH Productions from the attic of my parents’ house in Kent. I set up the company in April 2019 after a two-year traineeship at The Marlowe, Canterbury. The plan was to test the freelance lifestyle, but I ended up starting a business! I’ve had to teach myself a lot to get here (taking on workers, payroll, pension schemes, a company van!) and unexpected hurdles constantly arise, but I take it one day at a time and I couldn’t feel more empowered if I tried.

This month, my pilot project is meant to hit the road and go on tour around the UK. However, this is where I need some help.

Whilst at The Marlowe, I was part of the team behind two productions by James Baldwin, 'The Naughty Fox' (Fox) and '...If We've Never Been To The Moon?' (Moon)
Fox is a multisensory show for under 5s and their grown ups, encouraging imaginative play between the two. With puppetry, music and participation, it is a magical wonderland for little ones.
Moon is a retro and nerdy evening exploring mental health and conspiracy theories. It's a great night out with audience participation and an 80s sing-along soundtrack. It is also captioned throughout for D/deaf audience members.

When I left The Marlowe, the shows came with me. James and I then worked really hard to create a tour and successfully lined up 12 venues around the UK, destinations include: Birmingham, Nottingham, Bath, Keswick and London.

We were funded by the Arts Council England (ACE) and MGCfutures' bursary scheme, as well as our ongoing support from The Marlowe. James then received more funding from ACE to make an additional version of The Naughty Fox for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties. So we lined up schools and hospices between each of the 12 tour venues. The ambition was growing - now taking three shows on tour and reaching three completely different audiences group, delivering art out in the community as well as the venues. We devised some additional engagement activity around the work too, with pre-Fox craft workshops for little ones and post-Moon audience discussions about mental health and substance abuse - featuring filmed interviews with leading researcher at Westminster University, Catherine Loveday.

It was all looking very exciting. The shows were on sale, audiences were coming from all over the country, the school and hospices were booked, the actors were rehearsing, the creative team were developing the technical side of the shows, and I was preparing to take on lots of different roles. Due to the 'start up' scale of my company, I was supporting the project by becoming the van driver, technician at each venue (loading the set in and out of the theatres), show operator (running the tech on the day), pre-show workshop facilitator, post-show audience discussion host, hospice and school liaison, merchandise sales person and company manager!

HOWEVER (this brings us to the help needed!)
Last week, whilst travelling to Chile with another theatre company, I had a pulmonary embolism and DVT. I was in intensive care for a few days and it all got quite scary, but I am now fully in recovery and will be fine. The problem is that the doctors think my embolism was due, in part, to the long haul flight. So, I am now not allowed to fly home until February 15th! I am stuck in Chile and my pilot project hits the road next week.

The solution, I need someone to be me until I can get back. However, as this is my first project, there is no company reserve to cover the cost. So, I am asking for your help. If you are interested in supporting the arts, supporting disability access, supporting a start up entrepreneur or just fancy being a part of our team - please consider making a donation.

I’m so incredibly proud of this project and the people that have worked on it. There have been video designers, lighting designers, sound designers, movement directors, performers, production managers, technicians, consultants, doctors, D/deaf community members and supporters all in and out of the rehearsal room over this process. The amount of hours, effort and passion that have gone in to each aspect of the shows has been enormous. It would be a huge loss if this project could now not achieve its potential and not reach the people that it has been designed to benefit all around the UK.

I understand that a post-crimbo ask is a hard one, but anything you can give would be so gratefully appreciated.

There is also the chance that, if we get enough donations, the project will qualify for Natwest's additional match funding pot. This means that they would also make a contribution to help the project achieve its goals.

Thank you for taking the time to read this page and (hopefully) watch the slightly rambling video!

And thank you for helping us.

Very best,

Hannah

This project successfully funded on 14th February 2020