Hand Shadows
Puppet Centre is proud to announce a fabulous new half day workshop presented by Drew Colby of Finger and Thumb Theatre. Focusing specifically on hand shadows this workshop will help puppeteers develop technique and explore movements that allow the puppet to “speak”.
“Free yourself from the physical puppet and become the puppet's movement.”
This workshop for developing professional puppeteers will take place over four hours, and consist of the following elements:
- Introduction
- A general warm-up, specific warm-ups of the hands for hand shadow work. Work with isolation of the body parts. Particular emphasis on the movement being in the hand and wrist area
- A look at the advantages and limitations / challenges of hand shadows
- Looking at the different styles of hand shadow puppetry
- Interval screening of Budrugana Gagra's work and other hand shadow pieces
- A look at the technical equipment necessary for making good hand shadows
- How to make flowing water, trees, etc
- Creative exploration
- A question and answer session
Puppeteers will benefit from the skills taught in this workshop in a number of ways. The specific hand shadow techniques taught are transferable to a number of other areas of puppetry – especially work with glove puppets. The warm-ups are particularly good for strengthening and relaxing the muscles of the hand, and for the hand / brain co-ordination. The technical details of lighting for shadows that are at a remove from the screen will be of use to any puppeteer using shadow work, whether cut-outs, objects or hand shadows.
Specific skills:
- Shadow manipulation and shadow movement
- Use of puppeteer's body as the principle palette for movement of the puppet
- Developing hand shadow sensibilities and muscle memory
- Exploration of the three key aspects of movement (controlled, spontaneous and imagined)
About Drew Colby
Critically acclaimed for his work with traditional forms of puppetry both in the UK and South Africa, Drew’s fascination with less traditional forms has, over the years, led him to “instant puppetry” and the creation of puppetry from readily available materials – everyday objects, rubbish – even hands - using ingenuity and imagination. Working extensively with South African theatre practitioners has placed particular emphasis on the storytelling and performer presence elements in his work.
www.fingerandthumbtheatre.com
Date: Wednesday 7th March
Venue: Lower Hall, BAC, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
Time: 2pm – 6pm
Price: £37 on or before 1st February 2012, £40 thereafter *
Note: Spaces are limited so please book early for this workshop
To book: Email Louise Alexander to request a booking form at: louise.alexander@puppetcentre.org.uk
*Places will only been confirmed once payment has been received and no refunds can be made after confirmation of payment.
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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The Puppet Centre Residency2012
Zion Arts Centre, Manchester, in collaboration with Puppet Centre is calling for applications for a puppetry residency.
This residency will be in two parts:
Zion Arts Centre is particularly interested in receiving applications from artists and companies working with children.
All venues are particularly interested in receiving applications from artists and companies in their regions but this does not exclude others from applying.
This project has been initiated by The Puppet Centre and is based on previous residencies at bac and at Farnham Maltings, Bristol Old Vic, Ferment programme and mac, Birmingham.
The residencies provide research and development opportunities to explore an idea and an aspect or aspects of puppetry. The selected artists/ companies will receive practical advice, support and mentoring for their specific needs in terms of artistic, technical and business skills.
Zion Arts Centre will provide:
- Rehearsal space for up to 20 days subject to availability with the venue
- Technical support and advice for up to 5 days
- Mentoring by artistic, and marketing staff at the venue
- Access to office space subject to availability with the venue
- A showcase opportunity for each residency
- A budget to cover expenses in the region of £1K subject to confirmation of funding
Puppet Centre will:
- Draw up the contracts on behalf of the venues and the selected companies/artists
- Mentor each of the companies with access to the Puppet Centre Director on a regular basis as well as a contact meeting every 2 months (6 meetings over the year) either in person or by Skype.
- Provide as many networking opportunities as possible
- 1 free place per company at all Puppet Centre master classes, workshops , ‘How to’ sessions and networking events
- Arrange for the selected ‘resident ‘company to perform at the venue thus giving wider exposure to the work, sharing of ideas and more experience to the performers. It is possible that through networking, that companies may be invited to perform at other venues participating in the residency programme.
Who can apply?
- Companies and individual artists who are not in full time Further or Higher education
- Artists who may have been working as writers, makers, film makers, dancers, the visual arts etc who wish to work with puppetry or object theatre and can illustrate how that interest has been pursued.
- Artists who are in mid career who wish to explore a new art form and new techniques
- Those artists who wish to explore the contemporary nature of puppetry in live performance.
How to apply:
For an application form and further information please email louise.alexander@puppetcentre.org.uk
You will need this documentation in order to make an application.
Applications are to be made by e-mail only on the attached form and the following information must be included:
- Evidence of previous work and should include video or photos of the artist’s/ company’s work
- Individual and companies CVs including details of recent work
- A draft plan of what you intend to do during the year, what the work will explore and a timetable for the year’s activity and how you would expect the process to be supported
- A statement about what type of puppetry you wish to develop during the residency e.g. is it for outdoors, shadow work, marionettes, bunraku, object theatre and why this feels like the right opportunity at this time for you
- A statement about why you would like to work with Zion Arts Centre.
The selection process:
- A representative from Zion Arts Centre along with the Director of Puppet Centre will select a shortlist to be interviewed at Zion Arts Centre.
- Short listed applicants will be invited to interview to talk about their particular approach to theatre making with puppets and or objects or animation and to show a five minute example of their previous work.
- The interview panel will consist of artistic producers responsible for the residency at the venue, and the Director of Puppet Centre.
Applications must be received by e-mail only by mid day on Tuesday 14th February 2012.
Please send completed application forms along with supporting documentation to linda.lewis@puppetcentre.org.uk
The short list will be announced week commencing 20th February 2012
Interviews will take place during the afternoon of Wednesday 29th February at Zion Arts Centre.
If you have any questions or require any further information, please e-mail linda.lewis@puppetcentre.org.uk or phone 0207 228 5335 or liz@zionarts.com 0161 232 6076 for Zion Arts Centre.
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RE:Charge
Puppets for the Streets - 2 x weekend workshops
Following a successful and extremely popular collaboration with Mandinga Arts in November last year, Puppet Centre and Mandinga are delighted to announce two further ‘Puppets for the Streets’ workshops. There will be two self-contained weekend workshops. You can choose to attend Workshop One, or Two, or both.
Workshop One: 24th and 25th March 2012, Times: 10am – 5pm.
Workshop Two: 21st and 22nd April 2012, Times: 10am – 5pm.
Workshop One –
Will cover the design, prototype process & creation of a giant puppet.
Day 1 to cover (half day 1):
- Introduction to Mandinga Arts and the use of puppetry within its overall artistic vision.
- Exploration of contemporary materials and techniques well suited to outdoor puppetry.
- Essential logistics: cost, ease of transport, speed of assembly, repairs on the move, health and safety.
- Design concepts, model making, scale and articulation.
- Lighting options.
- Decoration and the final look
Day 1 & 2 to cover (half of day 1 plus one full day 2):
- The day will be taken up by the participants creating a life size 3D puppet from flat patterns; from a ready-made model, sizing up the paper patterns onto the high density foam sheets. The various parts will be cut out, carved and heat moulded where necessary. N.B The puppet will not be completed in 1.5 days. The puppet will be completed on the following weekend.
- A back pack / harness will be designed and made, using the same materials as the puppet.
Workshop Two – Will cover the assembly, decorative and lighting elements for the giant puppet & puppetry performance for the Street.
Day 1 to cover (1 full day):
- The day will be taken up by the participants continuing on the life size 3D puppet created in Workshop One. The separate elements and limbs are assembled and areas of strengthening and articulation resolved through the use of fibre glass roads and aluminium.
- A back pack / harness will be designed and made, using the same materials as the puppet.
- The team will look at lighting and decorative elements.
Day 2 to cover (1 full day):
- The full day session will be given oven entirely to performance with Miguel Hernando Torres Umba; character playing, masquerading, not only using the completed puppet but other Mandinga figures and animals from medium to large scale. Interaction on the move with audience and other puppets/performers will be explored. From improvisation to choreographed moves the group will explore a wide range of options and bring their own ideas and vision to the art of street puppeteering.
Participants do not have to attend both weekends and can drop in to whichever one suits their needs best, or attend both weekends as a full course. The dates of the course will also allow participants to work in-between and try out skills learnt so that they can come to the second weekend with new ideas and questions about their own current projects.
Introducing our Workshop Leaders
Charles Beauchamp, Co-Artistic Director, Mandinga Arts
Charles Beauchamp trained as a painter and printmaker in London and Paris and practiced for 30 years with numerous individual and group exhibitions in galleries and museums in Europe, USA, Japan, the Ukraine and South Korea. For the last 20 years Charles Beauchamp has concentrated on street theatre and carnival arts. Along with artist and Co-Artistic Director Julieta Rubio he has collaborated with circus, carnival, dance and community groups in England, Ireland, France, Italy, Colombia, Cuba, South Africa, Denmark, Germany and China.
Miguel Hernando Torres Umba trained at the International School of Corporeal Mime, London, and is a multi-faceted Performer, with a particular interest in physicality and movement. Having been part of street theatre groups and undertaking training in Afro-Latin dance and percussion, Miguel developed a passion for carnival arts and parades. In 2008, this passion brought Mandinga Arts to his attention and with them he found the perfect place to combine all his acting, mime and dance experience in joyful and colourful performances. Within Mandinga, Miguel has taken various rolls including dancer, performer and stilt walker and has used their costumes in parades around the UK. He has also lead and choreographed groups for the Thames festival 2009 and 2011 and the UK Centre for the Carnival Arts launch in Luton in 2009. Working with Mandinga, Miguel has also specialized in performance with large-scale puppets for carnival arts. He makes use of all his physical skills, training and body awareness to transmit life-like and playful characters using the carefully made puppets, making the most out of their colours and shapes.
Mandinga Arts was established in 2002 by Co-Artistic Directors Charles Beauchamp and Julieta Rubio in response to a demand for artists to work together on outdoor performance and to practice, improve, educate, share and promote carnival arts. The company brings together live music, carnival, street costume and dance, drawing on diverse influences from Europe, Latin America and Africa, with community based contributions to the carnival and outdoor performance movement in the UK.
Charles Beauchamp and Julieta Rubio have participated in the Mayor’s Thames Festival Night Parade for the last 13 years, both prior to and after the formation of Mandinga Arts Ltd, and took part in Notting Hill Carnival from 1987 – 2004. Among other projects, Mandinga is currently working on Interwoven, an EU Culture Programme funded project between UK, Spain and Bulgaria which aims to engage rural communities in the arts. In 2012 Mandinga Arts will play a pivotal role in 2012 Cultural Olympiad project Night of Festivals which will see an impressive carnival parade in Nottingham in June 2012.
Puppets for the Streets, Testimonials, November 2011
“ Excellent and generous sharing of knowledge and materials” – Julia Allison
“The work has just begun! It was great to meet up with other creative people and exchange ideas, techniques and ways of working.” – Jessica Rost
“Very enjoyable, stimulating, inspiring, practical, sociable.” – Liz Tyrrell
“An excellent course, I’d come again and would recommend it to other practitioners” – Ron Wood
Important Information
Dates:
Workshop One: 24th and 25th March 2012
Workshop Two: 21st and 22nd April 2012
Times: 10am – 5pm
Venue: Mandinga Arts Studio - 97 Atkins Road, London SW12 0AL
Price: £150 per person, per weekend workshop. Or £300 for both
Note: Spaces are limited so please book early. Participants will need to bring a packed lunch with them. Light snacks and refreshments (tea / coffee / juices) will be provided.
To book: Email Louise Alexander (Puppet Centre Administrator) to request a booking form at: louise.alexander@puppetcentre.org.uk
*Places will only been confirmed once payment has been received and no refunds can be made after confirmation of payment.
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Large Scale Puppets the Pif Paf Way
Saturday 12th May 2012
10:00am
£30.00
Presented at Crucible, Sheffield. Call the Box Office on 0114 249 6000, for more information.
Pete Gunson and Eleanor Hooper, co-artistic directors of Pif-Paf Theatre, show how they make and animate their unique large scale puppets. Explore how performers interact with puppets to create narrative, pathos and humour. Suitable for artists and performers from any discipline and any adult who wants to give it a go!
Suitable for ages 18+
The Crucible is the main producing venue in the Sheffield Theatres complex. On occasion, the Crucible hosts touring work.
The performance area is a thrust stage which extends into the auditorium, enabling the audience to watch the action on three sides. No member of the audience is ever further than 22 metres from the stage, and the sightlines are excellent, offering equality of experience across the auditorium.
Crucible, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA
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