Nottingham City Council is embarking on a search for somebody who has the ‘Dino-Factor.’
The hunt is underway to find an actor/puppeteer who will be paid to operate a 3m high, animatronic dinosaur which will shortly be roaming the city streets. The aim is to promote the World Exclusive Dinosaurs of China exhibition coming to Wollaton Hall and Nottingham Lakeside Arts this summer.
There will even be a Simon Cowell lookalike on hand to keep those auditioning on their toes!
The dinosaur operator will need to be flexible on hours, and used to working with the public and large crowds of people. They will need to be physically fit as they will be required to work in the full sized dinosaur costume for extended periods as well as undertaking Heritage Assistant duties with Nottingham City Museums and Galleries.
Auditions will be held on Monday 20 March from 1-3pm at Wollaton Hall where candidates will be asked to walk, talk and roar like a dinosaur! Online registration is essential to audition and the deadline to register is midnight on Sunday 19th March. For details about the auditions, to register and to view the job description please go to www.dinosaursofchina.co.uk/events/dino-factor-auditions
Those who are unlucky at audition will have many other opportunities to get involved in the Dinosaurs of China project as a volunteer. The dinosaur will need a team of handlers for appearances and there are many other roles assisting with the exhibition. Those applying will be offered the first opportunity to work in these posts as part of the award winning Nottingham City Museums and Galleries Volunteer Programme.
The dinosaur in question is known in China as a Sinraptor which translates in English to ‘Chinese hunter’. We have therefore named the dinosaur ‘Hunter’ – a name easy to remember as he visits a range of events and activities in the city and around the East Midlands. The costume has been designed by a firm in China with input from project experts Dr Adam Smith, Curator of Natural Sciences at Nottingham’s Natural History Museum and Dr Wang Qi, Assistant Professor in Architecture at the University of Nottingham. With an understanding of how the dinosaur would have moved and behaved, they will sit on the audition panel alongside Project Manager Rachael Evans.
Sinraptor was one of the most terrifying dinosaurs of the Jurassic age. It was 3 metres high and over 7 metres long. It used its long legs and sharp claws to catch unsuspecting prey. Its agility and speed makes it one of the most terrifying dinosaurs of its time and one of the most ferocious dinosaurs on display at the Dinosaurs of China exhibition.
Cllr Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture will also be sitting on the panel for a couple of the auditions. He said: “It’s a ‘yes’ from me! This is a great opportunity for the public to get involved in the World Exclusive Dinosaurs of China Exhibition. The visits from our Sinraptor will really capture the imagination of people across the city and beyond and give them a flavour of the ‘ground shakers’ and ‘feathered flyer’ dinosaurs that lie in wait at Wollaton Hall and Nottingham Lakeside Arts from July. I would urge people to keep an eye on social media to follow Hunter’s appearances and to pop and visit him when they can.”
Dinosaurs of China
Dinosaurs of China is a one-time only world exclusive exhibition of dinosaurs, which will be coming to the UK for the first and only time this summer.
Taking place from 1st July to 29th October 2017, the event will be held at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham and University of Nottingham’s public art centre, Nottingham Lakeside Arts and will be the only time that visitors can see this vast selection of fossils and skeletons outside of Asia.
The exhibition will bring to life the history of how dinosaurs evolved into the birds that live alongside us today and will feature some of the biggest dinosaur skeletons in existence.
Journalists and photographers are invited to attend a special preview event on Thursday 29 June where they will be one of the first visitors to see the exhibition and learn more about Dinosaurs of China. For more information and to buy tickets, please visit www.dinosaursofchina.co.uk
Keep up with the news on social media at: www.facebook.com/dinosaursofchina and on Twitter @Chinasaurs17 #Chinasaurs17