As the UK anticipates the opening of one of its most important new attractions – the Eleven Arches historical park in County Durham – a 1,200-strong volunteer cast is rehearsing for the premiere of its live-action show, Kynren.
Steering the ship is Anne-Isabelle Daulon, CEO of Eleven Arches, a Puy du Fou-style attraction that promises to bring 2,000 years of Britain’s history to life against the backdrop of Auckland Castle.
The project is the brainchild of millionaire philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer, who wanted to do something to sustain the castle and regenerate the town of Bishop Auckland. Puy du Fou is Eleven Arches’ artistic partner on the project, working to create a British extravaganza to match the quality of the French.
Purpose of Eleven Arches Daulon, a Frenchwoman who has lived in the UK for almost 20 years, is helping to “bridge the cultures”, she says. With a background in investment banking, she’s overseeing the financial direction of Eleven Arches, a charitable foundation with a budget of £31m ($44m, €41m).
“One of our charitable purposes is education,” Daulon says. “We’re achieving that through the training of our volunteers and raising awareness and interest in history in our audience. It’s ‘stealth education’, meaning visitors learn about history without even realising.”
Eleven Arches will also boost tourism in County Durham, bringing an estimated £4.75m ($6.7m, €6.2m) to the area, and by making Kynren – which premieres on 2 July – a night show, Daulon says they’re encouraging visitors to the region to maximise their overnight stays.
“Then they will visit other local attractions, sleep in hotels and eat in restaurants,” she says. “Overnight guests spent £161 per person in County Durham in 2013. Day trippers spent only £90.”
Daulon started working with Ruffer after she was introduced by a mutual acquaintance. After he told her about his vision and his plans for the site by the castle, Daulon wrote to Nicolas de Villiers, CEO of Puy du Fou, asking if he was interested in being involved with the project.
“It’s a meeting of mind and soul between De Villiers and Ruffer,” Daulon says. “Both projects – Puy du Fou and Eleven Arches – started from the same premise, to regenerate and reinvigorate a region with a show. Both men share the same love for a region and the same passion for history. They also both believe that if you know who you are and where you came from, you will do better in life. Sometimes it’s as though they’ve known each other for decades.”
Operating on the same not-for-profit model as Puy du Fou – which puts up to £10m ($14m, €13m) back into the show every year – Daulon says: “We’ll reinvest to make sure the show is mind-blowing every year. That will build the legacy, sustainability and longevity we want to achieve. If people come each year, there’ll be more visitors to the castle and surrounding destinations.”
l Tickets for the experience – which will be performed on a open-air stage in front of 8,000 people a night – are now on sale.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Tony Butler
Tony Butler, executive director of Derby
Museums Trust, on how museums can
be a force for good in their communities
Attractions: Perfect Brew
At 15 years old, the Guinness Storehouse
has been voted Europe’s best-loved
attraction. Manager Paul Carty reveals
the secrets of the Dublin brandland
Profile: John McReynolds
IAAPA’s new chairman reveals his aims
for the year ahead, his vision for a
global association and how his role at
Universal Orlando informs his goals
Analysis: The Attractions Business
Business planning consultant
David Camp starts an exclusive eight-part
series, delving into the fine art of attractions
operation from a business perspective
Science Centres: How to Future-Proof a Science Centre
Peter Slavenburg of design agency
NorthernLight describes how invisible
technology, serious play, co-creation
and the digital experience will inform
the science centre of tomorrow
Promotional feature: Simworx Ventures
Simworx Ventures is bringing its expertise in cutting-edge media-based attractions
to a new audience of museums, heritage sites, zoos and aquariums
Technology: Beacons on the Horizon
Beacons have countless applications in
the world of attractions. A case study
from the Cleveland Museum of Art
illustrates the technology’s potential
Museums & Galleries: Art Attack
Some of the most exciting attractions
design is happening in new and
upcoming galleries around the world,
from firms like Kengo Kuma and BIG
Promotional feature: IDEA
2016 is shaping up to be an interesting year for the attractions industry.
IDEA looks at what it takes to win audiences and command attention
Mystery Shopper: Spring in Your Step
We disappear down the rabbit hole as we
pay a mystery shopper visit to Bounce
Below, a unique underground trampolining
attraction in Snowdonia, north Wales
Rides: The Ride Makers
Our ride makers series continues with
water rides, a firm favourite with park
guests. Three leading companies reveal
the latest trends in flumes and chutes
Technology: Tech Check
The industry technology unveiled at
IAAPA 2015: from VR to interactives, and
digital puppets to 20-storey LED giants
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
As the UK anticipates the opening of one of its most important new attractions – the Eleven Arches historical park in County Durham – a 1,200-strong volunteer cast is rehearsing for the premiere of its live-action show, Kynren.
Steering the ship is Anne-Isabelle Daulon, CEO of Eleven Arches, a Puy du Fou-style attraction that promises to bring 2,000 years of Britain’s history to life against the backdrop of Auckland Castle.
The project is the brainchild of millionaire philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer, who wanted to do something to sustain the castle and regenerate the town of Bishop Auckland. Puy du Fou is Eleven Arches’ artistic partner on the project, working to create a British extravaganza to match the quality of the French.
Purpose of Eleven Arches Daulon, a Frenchwoman who has lived in the UK for almost 20 years, is helping to “bridge the cultures”, she says. With a background in investment banking, she’s overseeing the financial direction of Eleven Arches, a charitable foundation with a budget of £31m ($44m, €41m).
“One of our charitable purposes is education,” Daulon says. “We’re achieving that through the training of our volunteers and raising awareness and interest in history in our audience. It’s ‘stealth education’, meaning visitors learn about history without even realising.”
Eleven Arches will also boost tourism in County Durham, bringing an estimated £4.75m ($6.7m, €6.2m) to the area, and by making Kynren – which premieres on 2 July – a night show, Daulon says they’re encouraging visitors to the region to maximise their overnight stays.
“Then they will visit other local attractions, sleep in hotels and eat in restaurants,” she says. “Overnight guests spent £161 per person in County Durham in 2013. Day trippers spent only £90.”
Daulon started working with Ruffer after she was introduced by a mutual acquaintance. After he told her about his vision and his plans for the site by the castle, Daulon wrote to Nicolas de Villiers, CEO of Puy du Fou, asking if he was interested in being involved with the project.
“It’s a meeting of mind and soul between De Villiers and Ruffer,” Daulon says. “Both projects – Puy du Fou and Eleven Arches – started from the same premise, to regenerate and reinvigorate a region with a show. Both men share the same love for a region and the same passion for history. They also both believe that if you know who you are and where you came from, you will do better in life. Sometimes it’s as though they’ve known each other for decades.”
Operating on the same not-for-profit model as Puy du Fou – which puts up to £10m ($14m, €13m) back into the show every year – Daulon says: “We’ll reinvest to make sure the show is mind-blowing every year. That will build the legacy, sustainability and longevity we want to achieve. If people come each year, there’ll be more visitors to the castle and surrounding destinations.”
l Tickets for the experience – which will be performed on a open-air stage in front of 8,000 people a night – are now on sale.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Tony Butler
Tony Butler, executive director of Derby
Museums Trust, on how museums can
be a force for good in their communities
Attractions: Perfect Brew
At 15 years old, the Guinness Storehouse
has been voted Europe’s best-loved
attraction. Manager Paul Carty reveals
the secrets of the Dublin brandland
Profile: John McReynolds
IAAPA’s new chairman reveals his aims
for the year ahead, his vision for a
global association and how his role at
Universal Orlando informs his goals
Analysis: The Attractions Business
Business planning consultant
David Camp starts an exclusive eight-part
series, delving into the fine art of attractions
operation from a business perspective
Science Centres: How to Future-Proof a Science Centre
Peter Slavenburg of design agency
NorthernLight describes how invisible
technology, serious play, co-creation
and the digital experience will inform
the science centre of tomorrow
Promotional feature: Simworx Ventures
Simworx Ventures is bringing its expertise in cutting-edge media-based attractions
to a new audience of museums, heritage sites, zoos and aquariums
Technology: Beacons on the Horizon
Beacons have countless applications in
the world of attractions. A case study
from the Cleveland Museum of Art
illustrates the technology’s potential
Museums & Galleries: Art Attack
Some of the most exciting attractions
design is happening in new and
upcoming galleries around the world,
from firms like Kengo Kuma and BIG
Promotional feature: IDEA
2016 is shaping up to be an interesting year for the attractions industry.
IDEA looks at what it takes to win audiences and command attention
Mystery Shopper: Spring in Your Step
We disappear down the rabbit hole as we
pay a mystery shopper visit to Bounce
Below, a unique underground trampolining
attraction in Snowdonia, north Wales
Rides: The Ride Makers
Our ride makers series continues with
water rides, a firm favourite with park
guests. Three leading companies reveal
the latest trends in flumes and chutes
Technology: Tech Check
The industry technology unveiled at
IAAPA 2015: from VR to interactives, and
digital puppets to 20-storey LED giants
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound
may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new
research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The
Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
