Puppet Making: A Workshop with Rene Baker

We are pleased to announce the first of our 2016-2017 puppetry training opportunities, led by the internationally renowned puppeteer, director and teacher Rene Baker. This workshop, which will focus on making puppets from "found materials", is about drawing inspiration from the object's intrinsic qualities to create a character. Participants will explore a variety of “stuff” to discover what different materials have to offer and will learn to use form, texture and movement to inform the puppet's character. Each participant will make at least two puppets and in the process will answer essential questions such as should the material be altered or left as it is? What type of joint will create the right kind of movement? Do I need a control mechanism and where should it be located? This workshop is appropriate for any and all puppeteers, whether you are starting out or already an expert! Participants should wear comfy clothing as there will be a lot of moving around. Please also bring: materials with you for the workshop. As well as anything you'd particularly like to work with yourself, please also bring stuff to put into a common pool of available materials pliers / wire cutters scissors chisel (for found pieces of wood) small saw drill and drill bits (we only need three drills in total) packed lunch Please let us know if you don't have tools, so we can make sure there will be enough by sharing.