Upfront Gallery and Puppet Theatre

Who we are

Upfront Gallery and vegetarian restaurant are located near Penrith, Cumbria in a rural setting in beautifully converted 17th century farm buildings. The gallery is the home of Upfront Puppet Theatre and the workshops of artist, John Parkinson, who is the co-founder and owner of the gallery, along with his wife, Elaine. Elaine is a former teacher and can work with schools to plan visits to the theatre and gallery. The gallery is now the base for John’s studio and workshops, where he designs and builds for his puppet theatre. He also works as an artist on freelance commissions, which are usually site specific. The 140 seat puppet theatre is the only purpose built puppet theatre in the north of England. Productions will delight audiences of all ages. Recent productions include Jack and the Beanstalk, The Emperor and the Nightingale and Sleeping Beauty. The gallery presents a changing programme of exhibitions every six weeks. It is the home of the “Upfront Cumbrian Artists Open” which takes place every January and February, exhibiting selected work from all over Cumbria.