1st China Nanchong International Puppet Art Week, June 2-6, 2014

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NOz Puppetry Email Newsletter

In this issue: A Word from the Editors1st China Nanchong International Puppet Art WeekThe Puppet State - Puppetry and Political CommentaryComing Up : Puppet Performances and FestivalsPuppets for SaleFestival Invitation - Alexandria

Issue Nø 41July , 2014

It’s been more than two months since we sent out the last edition of O.P.E.N in May; however, despite the dismaying events here and around the world, there is no indication that the enthusiasm for puppetry is abating. In fact, there has been a resurgence in interest in the role puppets can play in political commentary and it seems that a number of puppeteers are exploring this at present.

O.P.E.N. editorial team (Julia, Richard and Kay) have had various puppetry commitments in the meantime . Kay Yasugi has been travelling overseas, visiting Korea and her old college in the UK, The London School of Puppetry, where she has been working with the current students She will be presenting some newly developed short puppet pieces in a small puppet festival in the south east of France (Fest des marionnettes aux estampes - www.poet-samildanach.net and returning to Australia in August.

In June, Richard and I (Dream Puppets) performed at the first China International Puppet Art Week in Nanchong. This was an extraordinary experience. The organisers, the UNIMA Asia Pacific Committee in partnership with China spared no expense in making our stay agreeable and memorable. We felt very spoilt, although sometimes we had no idea what was going on!. Over 48 companies (my count) participated, including companies from Australia (Dream Puppets and Foley Bergere), New Zealand, France, Germany, Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Canada, America, Croatia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Spain and many Chinese ‘teams’ There may have been others The event was a kind of competition - a Puppet Olympics, complete with imposing opening and closing ceremonies which were televised nationally . Awards (trophies) were presented and DP was proud to receive an ‘outstanding programme’ award. Because of our performance schedule which involved travelling to another part of the Sichong Province , we weren’t able to attend many of the international puppet teams’ performances but we savoured the exquisite artistry of Chinese puppetry in the ceremony presentations. The opening included a lavish complete musical theatre production ‘Legend of Dragon Gate’ with over 40 life-sized puppets as the performers. We also saw some short works featuring some extremely skilled hand puppetry and manipulation of marionettes. During our short stay in China (seven days in total) we caught up with old puppetry colleagues and friends and made new ones.

Here in Australia there were a range of puppetry performances and workshops presented during the recent winter school holidays, many of these for children, but not exclusively. Our schedule was frantic but we did manage to see our colleague, Jeff Achtem’s, impressive and quirky 3D shadow show ‘Swamp Juice’ at the Karralyka Centre in Melbourne. We also attended Black Hole’s ‘The Puppet State’ forum with the inspirational Michael Leunig who reflected on the well-springs of creativity as protest, celebration and as an expression of our vulnerable humanity.

Richard now has his role as president of UNIMA Australia to add to his current commitments to puppetry in Australia. He brings to this position 10 years of accumulated experience as secretary until 2009, his background as artistic director of the Maldon Puppet Festival (2012 and 2014)* and his involvement as co-editor of O.P.E.N. - as well as his practice as a puppeteer for over 30 years. Kay Yasugi (NSW) is the new General Secretary and Sue Wallace (NSW) and Lynne Kent (VIC)will be continuing as committee members. Michael Bevitt (VIC) will be staying on as Treasurer for the meantime. UNIMA welcomes Tony Riggio from WA as a new member of the committee. Look froward to more information if you are a current UNIMA member.

We will continue to assemble O.P.E.N. (and Op-dates) for all puppetry enthusiasts. Please keep us informed about your activities and projects so that OPEN reflects the vitality of this art form .

* Planning for the next The Maldon Puppetry Carnival has been postponed until further developments .

A WORD FROM THE EDITORS OF O.P.E.N.

Children’s Black Light workshops run by Julia Davis at Box Hill Arts Centre in July school holidays. Some Alien Puppets!

Hilary Talbot ‘s giant Abbot has been receiving media attention

lately.

Hilary (spiritsdancing.com) writes :

“Over the last few weeks I’ve been involved with the making of a giant 3 metre tall protest puppet of the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, with the theme

of Liar, liar, pants on fire. Matthew Armstrong, who came up with the

concept, brought together the skills of a number of Canberra artists to make,

assemble and perform the puppet within a pretty short timeframe.

Thanks, too, to Dario Vacirca and Mark Timberlake from KneeHigh, now Open Space, in Adelaide who hired us the

frame and advised us on various aspects.

The Abbott puppet debuted at the Bust the Budget anti-austerity rally on an icy cold

day at Parliament House, Canberra, on 6th July. Matthew is now improving the puppet

in a number of ways, ready for more appearances.” See : a few videos,

THE PUPPET STATE - Puppeteers making political commentary...

Word is out that the group is now working on a giant inflatable Clive Palmer - which may require quite a lot of hot air!

Check out Puppet Government on youtube. We’re not sure who is producing this series. Not quite ‘Rubbery Figures’ *, the puppets are muppet style caricatures and the 4 short episodes feature Tony, Joe, Julie and Malcolm ‘pulling Australia’s strings”.

* Peter Nicholson * late 1980’s

Gary Friedman has recently returned from a world filming trip for his upcoming documentary film :'The Puppet and The Power'.

Gary writies: Our film plays witness to the world's most anarchic puppets and their masters, who address puppetry as an art of defiance and socio-political change. With a history spanning centuries, this naïve art has a complex duty: In places where injustice and social controls stifle

citizens, puppets reflect what is wrong, often with impunity, but at other times with grave personal

danger. The puppet's power has ongoing relevance, in the face of degraded democracy, corporation

control and under regimes with suppressed rights of expression.See pilot

ENTER our hallowed institutions of

higher learning!

Christopher sculptedby Julia DavisConstruct of Payneland by Richard Hart

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Melbourne Festival and Arts Centre Melbourne present the Unicorn Theatre’s

SEPTEMBER 20 – SEPTEMBER 28

There are 19 billion chickens on this planet. Frank is just one young bird making a stand as a free-range radical using every sneaky trick in the book to thrive in this fowl world. Using extreme puppetry, comedy and cinematic technology, if you are low on any pecking order Frank will help you even the odds.

A unique blend of puppetry styles, interactive technology and general cleverness creates a playful celebration of unexpected bravery. Join a young rooster willing to be eaten for what he believes in.

Viva la Chicken!! Buy Tickets

Part of Melbourne Fringe Festival

What’s On / Coming Up

Frank’s Survival Guide to FreedomPerformed by Hamish Fletcher

Directed by Nancy Black

And still on the subject of chickens (!!!!), watch out for the PSYFARI FESTIVAL 22-24 August in NSW produced by Noisy Chicken from Sydney. The festival will include music, dancing, performances and roaming puppetry. https://www.psyfari.com

Something Very Far AwayKepler is an ordinary man who loves two things beyond all others: the cosmos and his wife Tomasina. After a sudden and tragic loss, he looks to the stars for answers and journeys deep into space to keep the thing most precious to him alive.

Using puppets, animation, music and sound, Something Very Far Away is a beautiful piece about love, loss, space and time, capturing Kepler’s travels through the universe and discovering the power of memory along the way.

21 and 22 November 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. Fairfax Studio, Melbourne Arts Centre, For ages 2 - 6 Book Now

Still Awake Still!

A rich visual and musical theatre work ...

anarchic and sophisticated with irresistible child-appeal!

a production by

JUMP LEADS andJESSICA WILSON

www.stillawakestilltours.net

Written and Directed by Jessica Wilson

Miss Ivory Tinklefinger, Queen of Sleep, is hired to sing the audience to sleep, but tonight her piano has a mind of its own. Her lullabies come alive –  and the consequences are wild!  Part-cabaret, part-theatre, with a touch of surreal pantomime, the entire show emerges like magic from beneath the lid of an ingenious grand piano. 

http://stillawakestilltours.net In Darwin, WA and QLD in August, NSW in September, VIC in October.

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You Can’t Miss ‘em: GIANTS coming to Perth

Royal de Luxe’s massive marionettes will roam the streets of Perth as part of an Anzac Centenary commemoration from February 13 to 15 . The presentation is also included in the Perth International Arts Festival events.

Photo by Kay Yasugi, who encountered them recently in the UK.

www.royal-de-luxe.com

! ! PUPPETS FOR SALE (Collectors’ items)

" 3 marionettes with controls, all 700mm high:" " (1)  Wizard, moving mouth, cape & pointed hat," " (2) Bearded safari dressed hunter, Panama hat," " (3) Man, plainly dressed, bald with moustache," 2 rod puppets, European style controls, head turns & tilts.

" These puppets were used professionally by the Pilgrim Puppet Theatre in Melbourne " during the 70s//80s, are in perfect condition. Prices negotiable." Enquiries to Robert Akins Phone (03) 93 97 42 57 or email : robertakins111@hotmail.com

Festival Opportunity

www.puppet-alex-festival.com

About O.P.E.N (Oz Puppetry Email Newsletter)O.P.E.N. is a free and voluntarily produced newsletter and is open to all. You can contact us on dreampuppets@netspace.net.au Past issues of O.P.E.N. can also be accessed on our website:

www.dreampuppets.comPlease send reports of any known or suspected puppet activity by the 25th of each month.

(Profiles of puppet characters or drawings/cartoons also welcome). Please keep photo resolutions low. Preferably send written material in .doc form so that it can be edited or rearranged on the page.

If you have urgent news: deadlines or notice of performances previously not advertised, you can send it to us for inclusion in Op-date at any time.

LINKS to more information about Australian puppetry:

www.PUPPETRYNEWS.com ! ! ! ! ! ! africanpuppet.blogspot.comwww.unima.org.au ! ! ! ! ! ! www.pupperoos.comwww.dreampuppets.com

! ! ! Julia Davis, Richard Hart and Kay Yasugi July 2014