WHAT do you get when you mix the Easter Bunny, Elizabethan fashion and huge artificial derrieres?

Answer: The latest collaboration from Eastleigh’s burgeoning creative hubs The Point and The Sorting Office, who have come together to work on a new dance show.

Getting into the spring of things contemporary performer Hayley Barker, an Associate Artist from The Point theatre, was looking for some help to realise her new animalinspired dance piece, Buttocks, Bums and Derrières.

Enter historical costumier Helen McArdle, a resident artist of The Sorting Office, with a history of work for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

“Collaborating with Helen on the design has really helped ideas grow,” said Hayley. “We’ve created everything from Elizabethan ruffs to huge artificial derrieres and even detachable rabbit ears!”

It’s been a positive experience for costumier Helen too, who has been dusting off techniques that she hasn’t used for years to help bring Hayley’s Easterinspired idea to life.

“When I worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company they had a whole department for millinery headwear, the technique I used on the rabbit ears,”

said Helen.

“It’s been great to use that technique on something completely new and modern, rather than getting pigeon-holed as a local historical designer!”

Eastleigh borough council’s head of culture, Cheryl Butler, says it has been exciting to see the development : “We built these two hubs to help exciting new businesses thrive. There’s nothing better than seeing them coming together for an inventive new project.”