Skinning the Cat (1988 - 2002)
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:
Posters, 1988 - 2012
Skinning the Cat circus posters.
Programmes, 1993 - 1998
Programmes advertising Skinning the Cat shows.
Scrapbook, 1988 - May 2005
A scrapbook containing press cuttings, letter-headed paper, handbills, and other material related to Rebecca Truman and Skinning the Cat, 68pp.
Scrapbook, February 1989 - April 1997
A scrapbook containing tour information, press cuttings, handbills, and other information relating to Skinning the Cat, 46pp.
Scrapbook, 17 February 1996 - 29 January 2004
A scrapbook containing tour information, press cuttings, handbills, and other information relating to Skinning the Cat, 77pp.
Serpent Woman Costume Sketch, c2000
Black ink sketches for the costume of Serpent Woman, including handwritten annotations and material samples.
Show Prep at Rheinahalle Film, 5 December 1994
The Show preparation, the German show, after the show. Footage shows Becky Truman and other performers getting ready for a show, talking to the camera man, scenes in a café, the inside of a church, an aerial performance, performers warm up, make up and rehearsals, sound, colour, copied from VHS.
Sideshow Barker Costume Sketch, c2000
Black ink sketches for the costume of Sideshow Barker, including handwritten annotations.
Skinning the Cat: Aerial Theatre Poster, c1988 - 2003
Colour photograph of a performer from Skinning the Cat during one of their performances, wearing a red and gold costume and hanging from a pole, the company logo in write type, and logos of supporting organisations in gold type on a black background.
Skinning the Cat: Circus of the Sky Film, 1988 - 2003
Compilation of footage of Skinning the Cat performances, colour, sound, copied from VHS.
Skinning the Cat Collection
This collection contains the archive of Skinning the Cat, aerial circus company including press cuttings relating, promotional material, programmes, photographs, costumes and costume designs and business records. It also contains DVDs of footage of performances, a book by Rebecca Truman and digital born files.
Skinning the Cat Handbill, c1997
Image from a Skinning the Cat performance, with three performers in blue, green and red costumes suspended from a rig, with the company logo in white in the top-left corner.
Skinning the Cat Handbill, c1997
Image from a Skinning the Cat performance, with three performers in blue, green and red costumes suspended from a rig, with the company logo in white in the top-left corner.
Skinning the Cat presents: Enchantress, c1996
Colour photograph from a Skinning the Cat performance of Enchantress, with the company's logo and the performance title in white type at the top, a description of the performance at the bottom, and along the right side four small colour photographs from previous Skinning the Cat performances.
Skinning the Cat presents: Enchantress, c1996
Colour photograph from a Skinning the Cat performance of Enchantress, with the company's logo and the performance title in white type at the top, a description of the performance at the bottom, and along the right side four small colour photographs from previous Skinning the Cat performances.
Sky Hooked: An exhibition by Becky Truman, 19 January 2012
The Bradford Gallery, The Yorkshire Craft Centre.Colour photograph of Rebecca Truman in one of her performances, white type on a black background on the front, and on the reverse white and black type on an orange and white background giving the name, date, description of the event and contact information, and logos of various related organisations.
Sky Hooked: An exhibition by Becky Truman, 19 January 2012
The Bradford Gallery, The Yorkshire Craft Centre. Colour photograph of Rebecca Truman in one of her performances, white type on a black background on the front, and on the reverse white and black type on an orange and white background giving the name, date, description of the event and contact information, and logos of various related organisations.
SkyHooked: An Exhibition by Becky Truman Poster, 20 January - 22 February 2012
A colour photograph of Becky Truman during one of her performances, wearing a red, gold and purple feathered costume and red feather headdress, the title of the exhibition, a short description and the time and date in white type on the front, and on the reverse orange boxes containing information about Rebecca Truman, the location of the exhibition and contact information, and colour photographs of the Skinning the Cat company during their performances.
STC Compilation of Edits Film, 1992 - 2008
Compilation of footage of Skinning the Cat performances, including Chameleon, Phenomena & Claire de Lune, Windsor Baths & Panto, Firebird, The Warrior Princesses at Circus of the Street and Rubicon Circus of the Sky, showing Becky Truman and other performers, colour, sound, copied from VHS.
Stretch Twins Costume Sketch, c2000
Black ink sketch for the costume of the Stretch Twins, including handwritten annotations and a material sample.