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Skinning the Cat (1988 - 2002)

 Organisation

Biography

Skinning the Cat (1988-2002) was a pioneering all-female aerial company from Bradford, founded by Rebecca Truman in 1988.

Rebecca graduated with BA (Hons) in Art & Design in 1988 and this same year she was commissioned to organise a fashion cabaret and perform a trapeze show by the Bradford Festival in the Wool Exchange. She joined Cathie Sprague to deliver this project, which became the basis of Skinning the Cat and marked Rebecca’s debut as a professional performer. Over the years, Rebecca trained as a professional performer in circus schools in London and Paris while Cathie, who had been teaching printmaking, puppetry and circus, in Bradford in the early 1980s, enrolled on the RA RA ZOO’s circus skills course in 1986, where she trained on the trapeze.

Overtime, Cathie became an all-round performer learning Chinese juggling, fire manipulation, acrobatics, diabolo and clowning. She worked with Skinning the Cat between 1988 and 1991.

Skinning the Cat emerged at the time when experimental circus was still in its infancy and aerial acts outside the circus tent were particularly rare. The name of the company came from a trapeze move, which is an ironic statement against the use of wild animals in circus. Skinning the Cat’s first show challenged the use of wild animals in circus by using the concept of animalistic physicality in their performance and becoming the animals breaking free.

Skinning the Cat was a pioneer contemporary circus and the first company in the UK to tour an aerial rig. They were among the first exponents of the corde lisse routine in the UK and they inspired many new circus companies and became the forerunner of contemporary circus.

Within a year of its formation the company was touring around Europe to critical acclaim. Under Becky’s artistic vision the crew designed and made their own costumes and set pieces, additionally they managed all aspects of their tours from show production to rig construction. Between the 1990s and the mid-2000s, the business grew from strength to strength leading the way in experimental aerial theatre techniques in contemporary circus.

In 2002, Rebecca created a special show for the Millennium Dome and she was made artistic director of the Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing ceremonies in Manchester. This same year Skinning the Cat received a grant from the Arts Council to develop what would become the final touring show, entitled ‘Rubicon’.

Skinning the Cat featured in some of the most prominent festivals and events of the time, including; Glastonbury, London International Mime Festival, Circus of the Streets, Covent Garden Piazza, Leeds City Varieties, Stockholm Water Festival, the launch of the Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart, Aurillac Showcase Festival in France, Tarrega Showcase Festival in Spain, Moscow State Circus, The Rheinhalle Köln in Germany, launch of the Tall Ships Race in both Edinburgh and Amsterdam, launch of the BMW car in Portugal, Sabena Airlines and the opening of the Channel Tunnel. Additionally, they held a residency at the Millennium Dome.

Skinning the Cat was dissolved in 2002.

Found in 68 Collections and/or Records:

8th Festival of Street Arts programme, 27 - 29 June 1997

 Item
Reference code: 178K48.19
Scope and Contents

Portfolio containing delegate's pack including programme, introduction to troupes and theatre companies and site plan.

Dates: 27 - 29 June 1997

8th International Festival of Street Theatre and Animation programme, 3 - 6 July 1997

 Item
Reference code: 178K48.17
Scope and Contents

Viladecans, Spain. Colour photograph of Skinning the Cat aerial act on trapeze held by a hand with a face drawn on it on the front cover, inside black and white and colour photographs of acts and performers with information and list of events, also contains commercial advertising, 16pp.

Dates: 3 - 6 July 1997

12th International Festival of Street Theatre programme, 20 - 23 August 1997

 Item
Reference code: 178K48.13
Scope and Contents

Auriallac, presented by Eclat. Multicolour type on black border and white centre with cut out window showing a man's face in disgust on the front cover, inside list of acts, four-fold programme with insert.

Dates: 20 - 23 August 1997

13th International Festival of Street Theatre programme, 19 - 22 August 1998

 Item
Reference code: 178K48.12
Scope and Contents

Auriallac, presented by Eclat. Colour illustration of a man sticking his tongue out and winking on the front cover, inside list of acts, three-fold programme with insert errata.

Dates: 19 - 22 August 1998

Al carrer '97: 8è festival internacional de teatre i animació, 3 - 6 July 1997

 Item
Reference code: 178T44.1
Scope and Contents

Viladecans, Spain. Red, blue and black type giving the name of the festival, a photograph of a hand suspending a trapeze act from its forefinger, the festival logo and the logos for the Viladecans Department of Culture and the Province of Barcelona on the front, and on the reverse the name and date of the festival, a list of the performers, their country or region of origin, and their act, as well as contact information on a white and yellow background.

Dates: 3 - 6 July 1997

Be There 2002: The Bradford International Festival, 7 - 16 June 2002

 Item
Reference code: 178T44.5
Scope and Contents

Bradford. On the front, colour photograph of The Improbable Theatre, the name and date of the festival in red, yellow, blue and white type with a yellow border, and blue, yellow, white and red type listing the time, date and venue of each performance, and on the reverse, colour photographs of performances by Skinning the Cat, the company logo in yellow and white type, the festival logo, and information about Skinning the Cat's 'Rubicon' performance in white type.

Dates: 7 - 16 June 2002

Bird costume sketch, c2000

 Item
Reference code: 178H28.2
Scope and Contents

Black ink sketch for a Bird costume from one of Skinning the Cat's shows.

Dates: c2000

Born Digital Files, c1988 - 1999

 File
Reference code: 178U3.1
Scope and Contents

Skinning the Cat company archive files containing digital photographs of their performances and a PDF file of final draft of Aerialist: The Colourful Life of a Trapeze Artist book by Becky Truman, Transferred from donor's PC onto NFCA hard drive, contains 28 folders of colour photographs and a PDF file.

Dates: c1988 - 1999

Bubble Girl Costume Sketch, c2000

 Item
Reference code: 178H28.1
Scope and Contents

Black ink sketch for the costume of Bubble Girl, including handwritten annotations and material samples.

Dates: c2000

Business Records, 1999 - 2004

 Series
Reference code: 178H28
Scope and Contents

Costume designs for Skinning the Cat shows by Rebecca Truman, as well as business records inclusing financial records and correspondence.

Dates: 1999 - 2004

Business Records, 2002-2004

 File
Reference code: 178H28.9
Scope and Contents

Business records related to Skinning the Cat including; Rebecca Truman's business card, various documents related to trapeze frames and rigging containing structural calculations and designs by David Young Associates, quotes from Litestructures and the Angle Ring Company Ltd.

Dates: 2002-2004

Business Records, 2003-2004

 File
Reference code: 178H28.10
Scope and Contents

Business records related to Albatros Rig, including sketches, photographs, costing from Lifestructures, technical drawings and calculations and invoices.

Dates: 2003-2004

Business Records, c1999 - 2004

 File
Reference code: 178H28.11
Scope and Contents

Various items of business records produced by Skinning the Cat , a report on Circus in the UK by Circus Arts Forum and a report on project development and strategic planning by Richard Sobey Creative Business Development and Strategic Planning.

Dates: c1999 - 2004

Circus of the Sky Presents: Rubicon, c2002

 Item
Reference code: 178T44.16
Scope and Contents

Colour photograph from a Skinning the Cat performance, with the Circus of the Sky logo in white in the top-right corner, the name of the performance in grey type and the company website on a black background on the front, and on the reverse a colour photograph from a Skinning the Cat performance, the cast listing and production team in white type on a black background.

Dates: c2002

Circus of the Sky Presents: Rubicon, c2002

 Item
Reference code: 178T44.17
Scope and Contents

Colour photograph from a Skinning the Cat performance, with the Circus of the Sky logo in white in the top-right corner, the name of the performance in grey type and the company website on a black background on the front, and on the reverse a colour photograph from a Skinning the Cat performance, the cast listing and production team in white type on a black background.

Dates: c2002

Costumes, c1988 - 2004

 Series
Reference code: 178Z69
Scope and Contents

Four costumes designed and made by Rebecca Truman for Skinning the Cat shows called Scrimple, Drippy, Firebird Sequin and Stretch twins (2).

Dates: c1988 - 2004

Cupola: A Circus Installation, 11 November 2017 - 22 April 2018

 Item
Reference code: 178T44.8
Scope and Contents Bradford. A colour photograph of Rebecca Truman during a performance, the title of the event in white and yellow type, and a description of the installation, venue information and contact information in white type on the front, and on the reverse colour images from circus posters, an image of a black lino cut of a bear on a platform, and information in black type regarding the 'Decades of Delight: 250 Years of Circus' exhibition on a yellow background, including date, time and RSVP...
Dates: 11 November 2017 - 22 April 2018

Cupola: A Circus Installation, 11 November 2017 - 22 April 2018

 Item
Reference code: 178T44.9
Scope and Contents Bradford. A colour photograph of Rebecca Truman during a performance, the title of the event in white and yellow type, and a description of the installation, venue information and contact information in white type on the front, and on the reverse colour images from circus posters, an image of a black lino cut of a bear on a platform, and information in black type regarding the 'Decades of Delight: 250 Years of Circus' exhibition on a yellow background, including date, time and RSVP...
Dates: 11 November 2017 - 22 April 2018

Eclat 95: 10e Festival Europeen de Théâtre de Rue d'Aurillac: Catalogue des Compagnies, 1995

 Item
Reference code: 178K48.7
Scope and Contents

Aurillac, France. Red, white and black type on a black and white background with a grey number 10 and illustration of a man on the cover, inside an introduction to the Aurillac street theatre festival, with black and white photos and descriptions of each act in alphabetical order and some handwritten notes on the spine and the inside pages, and an index at the back, featuring Skinning the Cat on page 96, 120pp.

Dates: 1995

Euroscene Leipzig Festival Programme, 1996

 Item
Reference code: 178K48.8
Scope and Contents

Leipzig, Germany.White type giving the name and date of the festival on a red, yellow, blue and white print of a painting on the cover, colour commercial advertising on the inside cover, inside an introduction to the festival, black and white photographs and information on each act and the time, date and location of their performance, and commercial advertising. Also, a letter from the festival director, dated 4 October 1996, on letter-headed A4 paper, 64pp.

Dates: 1996