Still Curious
THE INCREDIBLE TALE OF ROBOT BOY
Markus Schabbing
With dialogue removed, this sci-fi, silent movie edit of the stage production reveals the incredible life of Robot Boy. Theatre-Rites/Schauspielhaus Bochum.The film will be screened as part of Croucher Science Week March/April. And at the Puppet Animation Festival on the 10th, 15th and 17th April.
BREAKING UP WITH REALITY
Eden Harbud
Nod At The Fox currently have a half hour audio piece, ‘Breaking Up With Reality’, using spoken word, soundscapes and music, which is available online at Living Record Festival 17th Jan – 22nd Feb 2021. A special video extract of the piece will be premiered at Puppetry at the Pop-Up Palladium on 5th February.
WHEN WOLVES COULD SPEAK
Paul Barnhill, Louise Mellor & Sascha Gilmour
Goofus Theatre are developing four original tales for their brand new covid-proof production of “When Wolves Could Speak”. Using puppet, mask, music and storytelling, the show will be performed outdoors for individuals or groups at a distance.
THE TALE OF THE EDITH’S CHECKERSPOT
Eti Meacock, Bori Mezo & George Walker-Glover
Short film. It received an ABSW award in ‘Innovation of the Year’ category in 2019. The judges said: “They used a novel form of illustration that made the understanding of this story effortless, it was gorgeous and stunning showing that art and science can truly merge.“
HOPEFUL MONSTER
Eti Meacock, Ella Mackay & Bori Mezo
Hopeful Monsters (previously known as Transmographiles) is a piece of visual tabletop theatre: the company’s debut show. From simple organisms to giant beasts, this is a story of evolution told entirely with hands.
“Hopeful Monster brings to life a surrealist fauna of creatures. A poetic, innovative and incredibly bright show” – Puppet Animation Scotland
THE LONELY SAILOR WEATHER REPORT
Craig Leo, Sipokazi Mpofu & Sipho Ngxola
Part of ‘Virtual Black Out: Experiments in the Future of Form’ Exhibition, a Virtual National Arts Festival supported project between POPArt and Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival. “The Lonely Sailor” was a digital performance; an exploration of amphibious living. The piece was designed to be viewed in video.
ANANSI’S JOURNEY
Caroline Ada, Edie Edmundson, Amber Rose Perry & Olivia Racionzer
Anansi’s Journey is a multimedia puppet show for schools, community centres & care homes in areas with a high BAME population. It mixes traditional Kora music with new Spoken Word. A short film featuring interviews of Afro-Caribbean elders will introduce the show “placing” this historical journey of migration (via the Slave trade & later with the Windrush generation).
THE PONY CLUB AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Edie Edmundson
“The Pony Club at the End of the World” is a suitcase show about the apocalypse featuring portentous poetry, rubbish juggling and sinister show jumping. Edie live-streamed a scratch performance as part of Beverley Puppet Festival 2020, and will be making a film version for Folkestone Puppet Festival’s Youtube Channel. She is hoping to perform it live soon!
DRAGON
Chloe Flockart & Will Steele
“Dragon” is a new work of puppetry, developed over 5 weeks by William Steele (UK) and Chloe Flockart (AUS). Will and Chloe challenged themselves to create a work that was fully puppets- no seen performers, blending puppetry, projection and live music. “Dragon” explores themes of power, and the weight of responsibility, and should be touring the UK in 2021.
EL RECETARIO
Almudena Adalia
“El Recetario” is the result of a wonderful project Almudena created alongside the puppet maker Pili de Grado and a group of students with special needs . Over 10 weeks, the group worked acquiring making, performing and writing skills focusing on the language of shadow and object theatre. It was a fun and unforgettable experience that concluded in a heartbreaking play of 35 minutes.
Watch the video here.
FLYING WITH STRINGS
Sarah Vigars
Back in Winter 2019 Sarah was lucky to receive a DYCP (Develop Your Creative Practice) grant from Arts Council England. With the support of the grant, Sarah has used the lockdown period to develop her skills as a woodcarver and marionette maker, creating puppets for a new show called ‘Flying with Strings‘.
ANGELO
Sara Celeghin, Darcy Collins, Ailsa Dalling, Iestyn Evans, Nix Wood
“Angelo” was directed by Sarah Wright, and cast five curious alumni in the seven-strong cast (along with two curious tutors!) It was a remount of a Little Angel Theatre production from 1974, that was originally directed by John Wright. It was performed at Little Angel Theatre, Islington, as their Christmas production in 2018.
RAT
Ailsa Dalling
“RAT” toured in early 2020. It was a reimagining of The Pied Piper of Hamelin through live music and shadow puppetry. Ailsa designed and made the visual component of the show, before puppet directing and performing on tour. Nix Wood, another curious alumnus, joined the project as second puppeteer.
AVOCADO
Elspeth Chapman
“Avocado” is a short stop-frame animation Elspeth made for a project called Phone Fictions by the theatre company Visible Fictions. Artists from around Scotland were commissioned to a make a 1-2 minute film on their phone inspired by life during lockdown. Elspeth was inspired by her millennial lunch habits and a desire to keep up puppet carving at home.
MAPU
Sara Celeghin
MAPU is an International Puppetry Festival that takes place in Piazzola Sul Brenta in Italy each year. Now in its 5th year, it was due to take place 8th-10th May 2020. As a result of Covid-19, the decision was made to postpone the festival to the 9th-11th October. In May, an extra digital edition of the festival took place with online contributions from different artists. Shows, workshops and live streams were hosted on the MAPU Facebook page, and are available in perpetuity on the MAPU you tube channel.
WELSH WITH WOE
Hugh Purves
Hugh is working on a few puppet projects from his flat, using green screen, and is in talks with some production companies about making YouTube content during and after lockdown. This is a shot from ‘Welsh with Woe’ (and the puppet is Griff the Sheep!)
OTHER STORY
Emma Byron & Trevor Houghton
Otherstory are developing a new project. During lockdown, they have completed an online R&D using Zoom. This photograph is from the development, investigating how to portray the group protagonist for a new show about a very early windmill co-operative.