Eleven Arches

Charity Details

Full Name: Eleven Arches
Field: Arts, Culture and Heritage
Founded: 2014
Headquarters: Bishop Auckland, DL14 7SF
Charity No: 1159011

History and Activities

Established in 2014, Eleven Arches is one of two Bishop Auckland charities established by investment manager and philanthropist, Jonathan Ruffer; the other being the Auckland Castle Trust. Its principal objective is to produce a world-class historical pageant called Kynren, an open-air nighttime extravaganza traversing 2,000 years of British history. Like the Auckland Castle Trust, Eleven Arches aims to promote Bishop Auckland as a national and international tourist destination “that delivers tangible, measurable, significant social and economic impact… a visitor attraction placing the history of the region and the nation at its heart.”

Kyren is performed on a large scale. The cast and crew are made up of 1,000 volunteers referred to as “archers”, playing out a fast-moving chronicle on an enormous stage with a lake at its centre. There are 29 scenes involving mass choreography, fierce battles and dazzling special effects. The chief executive of Eleven Arches, reporting on 2017, neatly evokes the dramatic intent:

“Your immersion into 2,000 years of British history… begins with Arthur, an 11-year old boy from the North East of England, whose odyssey through myth, legend and history is guided by Old Arthur, the castle ground keeper: ‘Every era gives and takes away something that makes us who we are. Every generation adds history. And that history creates ... the Story of Us’… When we created our night show, we closed our eyes and we could see, like Arthur, Roman centurions marching, Vikings raiding up and down the river, knights jousting, horses galloping, railways connecting people and places, miners disappearing in the depth of the earth. Kynren is a timely - and timeless - poignant reminder of the tremendous contribution the North East has made to the history of the nation… The North East is where great boundaries were fought, a land of invention and pioneer spirit, a place that has an extraordinary community spirit. With Kynren, all these extraordinary qualities are channelled, revealed and enhanced to produce something unique, ambitious, awe-inspiring, audacious - and world- class.”

The economic effects of putting on such a world-class event are very positive, the charity stating that 30% of its visitors come from outside of the North East, leading to an estimated tourist spend of £4.75 million. Equally important are the social benefits. The majority of the cast is local volunteers enthused by the idea that Eleven Arches has brought a better future for Bishop Auckland. Local people have witnessed a big increase in the friendliness of the town, as well as physical improvements such as new cafes, shops and an emerging artists’ quarter. In 2016/17, Eleven Arches had a philanthropic income £13 million coming mainly from Lempriere Pringle 2015, a vehicle for the philanthropy of Jonathan Ruffer.

Vital Statistics (year to 30/09/2017)

Website
https://elevenarches.org/

References