12 September 2013
Newsdesk
Beth Gibbons, singer and lyricist of cult band Portishead, has helped Greenpeace create a ‘roar’ for a double-decker-bus-sized polar bear puppet which will be leading a street parade through central London next Sunday.
Gibbons donated personally crafted, Arctic-inspired vocals to the ‘roar’. These will be part of an Arctic soundscape surrounding ‘Aurora’ - the world’s largest polar bear puppet - as she’s hauled through central London on Sunday 15 September. The bear’s vocal range, enabled by a powerful D&B sound system built into its head, will include the sounds of ice cracking, Arctic wildlife, guttural rumblings and deafening bellows, including other roars donated by both children and adults.
Aurora’s parade will form the UK leg of a global day of action which will see tens of thousands of people taking to the streets in over 75 cities worldwide to demand that the Arctic be protected from oil giants planning to drill in its pristine waters.
"The Arctic is an incredible place, home to polar bears like Aurora as well as millions of people,” said Gibbons. “What does it take to make large corporations, financially driven like Shell, to stop and consider their responsibility? The irreversible damage they cause knowingly is morally wrong. Aurora’s parade will be an amazing expression and one I am pleased to have lent my voice."
Greenpeace has drawn on a pool of diverse creative talents to bring Aurora to life. Designed by artist Christopher Kelly and manufactured by Factory Settings, creators of sets for Lady Gaga and the Royal Opera House, the giant marionette will be operated from the inside by 15 puppeteers from West End blockbuster War Horse, giving her highly realistic movements. They will be directed by Mark Jefferis, a master of this art form who starred in award-winning satirical puppet show Spitting Image, and film legend Peter Elliot, who has portrayed apes and other animals in Hollywood blockbusters including Gorillas in the Mist and Congo, and choreographed the fictional beasts in the film version of Where the Wild Things Are.
The giant bear, which is made of replica and reclaimed ship parts as well as recycled materials, will be carrying in her fur the names of over 3 and half million people who have joined the global movement at SaveTheArctic.org to protect the frozen North from industrial exploitation. The millions of names will be taken to the UK headquarters of Shell, the Anglo-Dutch oil giant at the forefront of the race to drill in the fragile Arctic.
