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Eleven Arches CEO promises reinvestment in Kynren as ticket sales go live

By Tom Anstey    16 Nov 2015
The 90 minute show is operated almost entirely by a crew of more than 1,000 volunteers

Tickets have gone on sale for Eleven Arches’ eagerly awaited ‘Kynren – an epic tale of England’, with the Puy du Fou-style attraction’s CEO touting the positive benefits the attraction will have for the local community, also promising annual reinvestment into the venture.

The £31m (US$47.4m, €42.9m) live-action show being developed partnership with the creators of Puy du Fou is coming to the UK in June 2016, with 14 shows taking place in its debut season through the summer months.

Playing out in front of the impressive backdrop of Auckland Castle, the 90-minute show – operated almost entirely by a cast and crew of more than 1,000 volunteers – will tell the tale of 2,000 years of British history, blending in fiction and mythology with reality.

“It’s not a one-off show, it’s not a one-off season. Our intention is to be there every year,” said Anne-Isabelle Daulon, CEO of Eleven Arches, speaking exclusively to Attractions Management following the launch of the company’s new advert on prime time television, which coincided with the launch of tickets sales for the spectacular.

“We’re calling it ‘stealth education’, meaning visitors will learn about local and British history without even realising they are doing so. We hope when the show is over they will want to go and explore these themes further in the local community.”

Eleven Arches has the financial backing of philanthropist and investment manager, Jonathan Ruffer, who grew up in the local area and owns Auckland Castle – the site Kynren will play out on. One of the project’s main goals is to revitalise the County Durham area, using Eleven Arches as a catalyst to spark regeneration in the area with the £4.75m (US$7.2m, €6.7m) it is expected to generate for the region in its debut season.

“I speak to Jonathan all the time,” said Daulon. He’s involved in every aspect of the project. We’re delivering his vision in Bishop Auckland. He was brought up near Middlesborough and wants to support the community he grew up in.

“He wasn’t actively looking for anything when he came across Eleven Arches,” she continued. “He’s got two big charities, one which he funds directly. He heard about the project and volunteered his investment. Since then he’s put in nearly £100m (US$152.2m, €141.3m) across the whole project.”

Operating on the not-for-profit Puy du Fou model – which reinvests up to £10m (US$15.2m, €14.1m) into its project every year – Eleven Arches will use revenue generated to train new volunteers and reinvest in the show to keep visitors coming back to see the spectacle.

“If we reinvest in the show to make sure it’s mind-blowing every year, which includes reinvesting in the show and reinvesting in the proper training of our volunteers, it will give it the legacy, sustainability and longevity that we want to achieve,” said Daulon. “If we do this right it will ensure that everything else works and has a trickle-down effect. If you bring people year-after-year then we’ll have visitors to the castle and you can build up the surrounding destinations too on the back of a major attraction such as Eleven Arches.”

Tickets for the experience – set to be performed on a 7.5-acre (30,350sq m) open-air stage to an audience of 8,000 people a night – are now on sale priced at £25-£55 for adults and from £19-£41 for children. To view the new trailer, which aired on national TV to an audience of millions on Sunday (15 November) go to www.Kynren.co.uk.

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