Manchester performer of music to film, Carrot Productions, has announced expansion plans including the launch of The Carrot Trust, a massive commission by Penguin, and the development of its ‘shows for hire’ offering.
The Carrot Trust is a new charity arm of the organisation that will work to promote and advance accessibility and education in the arts for people throughout the United Kingdom. Through the staging of bespoke and diverse performances that enhance lives through the joy of artistic engagement, and with a strong focus on SEN and marginalised communities, The Carrot Trust will aim to reach audiences that are currently underserved.
Carrot Productions has been commissioned by Penguin to arrange The Snowdog score for orchestra, which will premiere later this year, while its collaboration with Anderson Entertainment, Stand by for Action, that premiered at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall in April 2022, is returning as a sequel to the sell-out show this July featuring an all-star cast of Thunderbirds voice actors alongside a full orchestra.
In a new venture for the company, it will be offering its programmes worldwide, often in partnership with the best British creatives including Aardman and Penguin, as ‘shows for hire’. From short films to blockbusters, full orchestra programmes to smaller ensembles able to fit into small venues, there has already been overwhelmingly positive feedback from orchestras and venues across USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Europe. The company hopes this will grow greatly in the coming years, as it shares its expertly curated family show content with other organisations.
In addition, Carrot Productions’ long-standing partnership with Aardman continues this year, as performances of its short films – including masterpiece, Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death – are set to be staged at festivals and events across the UK, while new education project, Fantastic Fairy Tales, launches in June 2024, with the hope that this will then be offered to special schools across the UK alongside the company’s other two education programmes created in 2022 and 2023.
The company will also continue to collaborate with film producers to adapt its film scores for live film and orchestra performances, Pride Classical will feature at a number of events this year with interest building worldwide for others to stage the show in the future, and the progressive partnership with Sky VIP will be extended as it continues to sponsor and support performances for its members.
The announcements come off the back of Carrot Productions’ successful UK tour of The Snowman in December 2023 that gave thousands of people a Christmas to remember. The award-winning show featured screenings of the family-favourite accompanied by an elite live orchestra and took to stages in Derby, St Albans, Oldham, Bristol, London, Buxton, Guildford, Chester, Liverpool, and Birmingham and offered opportunities for young, local soloists from each region to be part of the production.
Carrot Productions made a very special return visit to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital during the tour, performing for patients and their families for the first time since the pandemic struck; a show especially close to Carrot Productions’ managing director Rachel Whibley’s heart because her son Patrick has Down’s Syndrome and they have been regular visitors to the hospital over the years.
Since the very first ‘one-off’ performances of The Snowman in Glossop in 2013, the number of performances each December has consistently been between 25 and 30 in multiple venues across the UK including some of the country’s most grandiose and historic Cathedrals and Minsters. It has now staged at over 40 venues across the UK in total.
The Carrot team also created four brand-new shows in 2023: Pride Classical, The Amazing Maurice, More Musical Beasts, and a bespoke film programme for Norwich SENDfest, showcasing an undeniable ability to connect with a range of audiences.
Rachel Whibley, managing director at Carrot Productions, says: “2023 was the busiest year in Carrot Productions’ history, featuring the creation of our four brand-new shows: Pride Classical, The Amazing Maurice, More Musical Beasts, and our film programme for Norwich SENDfest.
“Add in 28 performances of The Snowman Tour, including a return visit to our sorely missed Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for the first time since the pandemic hit, as well as over 30 performances in special schools, it was our fullest and most dynamic year ever, and 2024 is looking very exciting indeed.
“Our continuing work in the heart of special schools continues to be one of my favourite things we create at Carrot, as it is for the musicians involved. The impact it has on some of the most profoundly disabled children is truly a joy to behold for me, the incredible musicians involved, and the teachers. It has certainly been one of the deciding factors in setting up The Carrot Trust, and we have an immense appetite to develop this work and take it to the next level.”
