On top of a black tabletop, two white sticks being puppeteerd by pink string. Blurred in the background are scattered black beads, a strip of light brown fur, and a curious audience in the shadows.

Matter Era

Tim Spooner and Terrapin

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Information

Times:

7 & 8 May – 7pm
9 May – 2pm

Tickets: Pay What You Can (Recommended Price £16)*

*All orders subject to a transaction fee of £2.

Running Time:

7 & 8 May – 1 hour
9 May – 5 hours

Age Recommendation: All ages welcome

This event takes place in person in our Members Bar

Part installation, part performance, Matter Era brings a post-human world to life through experimental puppetry and animated objects.

In collaboration with Tasmanian puppeteers Terrapin, UK-based artist Tim Spooner invites audiences into an ecosystem imagined entirely without people.

As the stage begins to breathe, unseen performers animate creatures that explore, flock and interact in captivating ways. A vision full of wonder and warning, witness life reshaping itself and imagine what might emerge when nature reassembles.

Viewable either as one-hour performance or as a durational event where spectators can come and go as they please.

 

★★★★★ ‘Terrapin has been shining a spotlight on significant questions for more than 40 years’ The Age

 

This event is part of Bloom, a programme of cutting edge performance developed at BAC. Bloom is curated by BAC’s Programme Producer Ella Gamble.

 

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Experience Bloom in full. Book for 3+ Bloom 2026 shows and save 20% on your tickets. Discounts apply automatically when you add tickets to your basket within the same order.

Gallery

A small stage with metal pylons on each corner sits in the middle of a room, There is an audience sitting around it clapping.
View 5 images
Black marble beads are scattered across a scratched black surface, there is a small string dispersing them.
Sunlight shines onto a brown and tan piece of animal fur that sits on a scratched grey surface; there is a bone-like protrusion form the left size.
A black stick with a red tip stands upright in front of a rectangle slot cut out in the grey scratched stage.

Biographies

Tim Spooner

Tim Spooner works in performance, collage, painting and sculpture. His work uses materials and objects in ways that reveal unexpected properties, aiming to open up perspectives beyond the human scale.

Fundamentally interested in unpredictability, his work is an exercise in balancing control with a lack of it in the handling of the materials he is working with. Since 2010, Tim has created a series of increasingly complex live works centred around the revelation of “life” in material.

Terrapin

Terrapin creates contemporary puppetry experiences for audiences of all ages, touring Tasmania, Australia, and internationally. It creates work for theatres and interactive installations for public space. The companies work has been presented by The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, The Vancouver International Children’s Festival, De Betovering Festival (The Netherlands), A.S.K Shanghai, Aichi Arts Centre (Japan), The Taipei Children’s Art Festival, The Lincoln Center (New York), The John F. Kennedy Center, The Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival and Mona Foma, among many others.

Credits

Terrapin and Matter Era are supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program.

Commissioned and produced by Terrapin (Australia). Also commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre

Lead Artists Sam Routledge and Tim Spooner
Composition and Sound Design Madeleine Flynn
Performers Noah Casey and Bella Young
Producer for UK/European Presentations Nicky Childs 

Access

PRE EVENT INFORMATION

This event takes place in person in our Members Bar. This space is on the first floor, with step-free access via a lift.

If you have booked a ticket you will receive an email from us before your performance detailing important information about your visit.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT/COMPANION TICKETS

If you require the assistance of a friend or helper to attend, we can make a free ticket available for your companion. You can book access companion tickets online or contact the Box Office to book by emailing boxoffice@bac.org.uk.

To book a free access companion online:

  • log in to your account here
  • go to ‘Other preferences’ and tick ‘I require a personal assistant/companion’.
  • Choose the performance, date and seats you would like and if you add at least 2 tickets to your basket, then one of these will automatically become free.

All performances will be Relaxed. We invite you to make yourself comfortable and move around if you need to and if you need to leave the performance at any point you will be allowed to return to the space when you feel ready.

VISIT OUR ACCESS PAGE

We want our shows to be as accessible to as many people as possible.

We offer tickets to most shows on a Pay What You Can basis throughout the year.

Tickets for Bloom performances in 2026 start at £9.50, and we have recommended pricing to help you choose a price that works for you.

We know that ticket price is a huge barrier for some. If you can afford to pay the recommended price or more, choosing to do so supports those that can’t. It makes it possible for us to continue to offer Pay What You Can and welcome those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.

Find Out More

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