Puppet Chat - all things puppet in Sydney Australia.

For all details of this major event, registrations, bookings etc go to the UNIMA website.

Dear All,
The 9th 'One Van' International Festival of Puppetry is happening on 26th
April 2008!
There are various reasons why BANC has decided to change the date, but
mainly it is because of the large Christmas break just before the Festival
being held in January. In consultation with puppeteers we also chose this
date because of this year's UNIMA conference in Perth in April, hoping that
puppeteers have enough time to travel back to NSW and debrief after these
exciting times for puppetry in Australia by coming to Blackheath.
Formally the Puppet Festival in Blackheath is a biennial event, 2008 being
the off-year. However, we will continue having a small, one-day event in
each off-year. Next year the 26th April is a Saturday. Puppeteers are
invited to arrive on Friday to join the very popular 'puppet jam' on Friday
night at the Gardiner's Inn. On Saturday morning there will be workshops,
followed by performances for young and old throughout the day. The day will
once again be accompanied by a fair with stalls outside the main venue.
There will be some outdoor performances as well. The Festival will conclude
with the Cabaret of Puppetry on Saturday night.
We do accept expressions of interest for
* workshops;
* children and family shows;
* exhibitions;
* roaming puppets;
* for participation in the Cabaret of Puppetry with a 5-15 minutes
performances
Please express your interest in writing and send us some photos or a DVD of
your performance.
Please contact me if you require any further information. I am looking
forward to hearing from you.
Kindest regards,
Can Yaşmut
Manager & Community Development Worker
Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre Inc. (BANC)
Gardiner Crescent
Blackheath, NSW 2785
phone: (02) 4787 7770

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The Art Is Festival being held in Horsham, Victoria 14th to 20th March 2008. Their theme this year is Pulling Strings. If you are interested please contact Charee Lowe on
Charee Lowe, Festival Manager, Art is...festival, 14th March to 20th March, 2008,
43 Firebrace Street, Horsham,3400.
P.O. Box 323, Horsham, 3402
Ph:03 5381 0297
Fax: 03 5381 0312
artis@wimmera.com.au
www.artis.wimmera.com.au
Cheers
Sean Manners Webmaster Puppetry Australia

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I am constantly intrigued by people's perceptions of puppetry. Recently I was at a friend's house and another guest was a lady who has spent most of her life in theatre. Our mutual friend explained to her that I loved puppetry and built puppets etc. "Why?" she said.

I could only respond "so people like you will say after a performance- I had no idea puppets could be like that!"

I didn't mean this nastily- the fact is all too few people have ever seen a puppet show that has appeal to adults - most of the acts around are unashamedly tailored for very young audiences. I would love to be one puppeteer that helps others to enjoy the art and open their eyes to how delightful and entertaining puppets can be.

While such a remark could be regarded as quite "normal" coming from people who have had no exposure to theatre - I was taken aback when it came from a woman whose life has been mainly spent "backstage". Anyone who has seen a proper puppet show or act, who is also theatrical, surely must in my view, appreciate that puppets can be specially entertaining.

Some years ago, a puppeteer who had retired urged me to "get doing something." He assured me that the world was waiting because there is such a shortage of puppet acts in today's world. "Everything has become so damned sophisticated, there is a huge demand for entertainments that allow people to use their imaginations - they are screaming for it" he added.

Long before I knew who Ronnie Burkett was, it seems he and I shared a love of traditional puppetry within the context of traditional, legitimate theatre... and we both love text!

Over recent times, many commentators have dismissed "text -based" theatre as not appropriate for puppets. I agree with Ronnie. We think puppets "do text" brilliantly.

Anyone who has had the wonderful experience of seeing his latest show-"10 Days on Earth" -now on a world tour (from his Canadian home base) will readily attest to the fact that it is a classic example of the power of the art at its theatrical best.

For too many years, too many commentators and books on puppetry have advised puppeteers to keep clear of dialogue and stick to "wordless fantasies" etc. While Ronnie's show burys that arguement once and for all by proving how powerfully it can be done, it is also clear that to succeed well, extraordinary talents are called for in the puppeteer. Perhaps that is the reason we get so few oportunities to see the art practiced this way nowadays? Artists like Ronnie Burkett are all too rare.

Puppet Collaboration Request

Neil Hughes of Bunyip Puppet Theatre writes:

I am a puppeteer/puppet maker based in South east Melbourne.For the last few years I have been performing my Punch & Judy puppet show for children's parties & kindergartens.

My other interests include music (guitar), sculpting and animation (in particular stopmotion animation). I am a graduate of the VCA School of film & television back in 2001. The areas of puppetry I am interested in include hand & rod puppets (muppet style), shadow puppetry, myths legends fairy tales and the fantastic and comedy.

I will continue to develop my own one person shows; however I am very keen to work with other puppeteers in Melbourne (in particular Sth East Melbourne) to work on larger projects with the aim to ultimately form a regularly performing puppet theatre in south east Melbourne.

If you are interested in working together on larger projects, please respond to my email or call me on my mobile on 0418 376 392 or home on 97961162

Patrick Cummings at Tidal Media Pty Ltd is seeking someone to create and operate a puppet for a new children's program. He writes as follows: