Caravan History
Caravan History
The Caravan, founded in 1970 in BC, originally toured in large wagons pulled by Clydesdale drafthorses and performed all over the West Coast of Canada and the US in a large 700 seat Tensile Tent.
The Caravan, founded in 1970 in BC, originally toured in large wagons pulled by Clydesdale drafthorses and performed all over the West Coast of Canada and the US in a large 700 seat Tensile Tent.
Fundamental to the Caravan shows is the inherent manifestation of the value of co-operative work and participation. Believing that theatre can and should restore to people of a sense of their own worth and power, the Caravan strives to create a theatre of hope and celebration. Watch the film below to discover more.
Fundamental to the Caravan shows is the inherent manifestation of the value of co-operative work and participation. Believing that theatre can and should restore to people of a sense of their own worth and power, the Caravan strives to create a theatre of hope and celebration. Watch the film to discover more.
Traveling at two Clydesdale miles an hour, the Caravan, with its brightly painted wagons accompanied by a brass band and calliope calling one and all, made a spectacular entrance into parks, school yards, campuses, or pastures. The shows were staged in the eye-catching 80 ft tensile tent, the Cosmodrome, which was ringed with colourful murals depicting various scenes on the outside and inside walls. The wagons, placed within the Cosmodrome, were transformed into a variety of “sets” depicting the scenery of the show that was touring.
Traveling at two Clydesdale miles an hour, the Caravan, with its brightly painted wagons accompanied by a brass band and calliope calling one and all, made a spectacular entrance into parks, school yards, campuses, or pastures. The shows were staged in the eye-catching 80 ft tensile tent, the Cosmodrome, which was ringed with colourful murals depicting various scenes on the outside and inside walls. The wagons, placed within the Cosmodrome, were transformed into a variety of “sets” depicting the scenery of the show that was touring.
In this way the Caravan traveled over 20,000 horse drawn miles from the ghost towns of British Columbia, to the city parks of San Francisco, from the seashore towns of Oregon to the desert communities of eastern Washington, from the streets of Toronto and Detroit to the mails of southern Florida, from the hospitals of Alberta to the school yards of northern New York. In 1993, after spending a year creating and producing a spectacular seven hour show on the state of the earth’s environment, entitled “THE COMING”, with performances at the World Theatre Festival in Toronto, the Caravan embarked on a new dream – the Caravan StageBarge. We sought to create a tall-ship venue that could provide the staging potential for the innovative theatre style of the Caravan.
The Caravan is today a non-profit professional theatre company, creating & touring original spectacle theatrical productions on the decks and in the rigging of the Caravan’s 100ft theatre ship, the Amara Zee.
In this way the Caravan traveled over 20,000 horse drawn miles from the ghost towns of British Columbia, to the city parks of San Francisco, from the seashore towns of Oregon to the desert communities of eastern Washington, from the streets of Toronto and Detroit to the mails of southern Florida, from the hospitals of Alberta to the school yards of northern New York. In 1993, after spending a year creating and producing a spectacular seven hour show on the state of the earth’s environment, entitled “THE COMING”, with performances at the World Theatre Festival in Toronto, the Caravan embarked on a new dream – the Caravan StageBarge. We sought to create a tall-ship venue that could provide the staging potential for the innovative theatre style of the Caravan.
The Caravan is today a non-profit professional theatre company, creating & touring original spectacle theatrical productions on the decks and in the rigging of the Caravan’s 100ft theatre ship, the Amara Zee.
Caravan Stage Company Founders, Paul Kirby and Adriana Kelder (Paul & Nans).
Today, in front of the Caravan ship, the Amara Zee, and during the Caravan wagon years.
Caravan Stage Company Founders, Paul Kirby and Adriana Kelder (Paul & Nans).
Today, in front of the Caravan ship, the Amara Zee, and during the Caravan wagon years.
Caravan Stage Company Founders, Paul Kirby and Adriana Kelder (Paul & Nans).
Today, in front of the Caravan ship, the Amara Zee, and during the Caravan wagon years.
