June Intensive

June 5-16, 2023 – click here for details!

AN IMMERSIVE EXPLORATION – with workshops, covering the basic skills for creating puppet theatre.

From Monday to Friday, June 5-9 and June 12-16, 2023, in person at our studio

For artists wishing to join us, the deadline for application is May 31, 2023. This course is also part of the UNIMA Canada Pro Circuit of puppetry courses across Canada. For the full UNIMA program, the application deadline was September 30th, 2022.

This program is designed to inspire understanding of puppetry as a theatrical form, and to integrate this understanding into the practice of visual performance. In the first week, participants will explore elements of puppet design, construction and performance, with additional sessions on elements important in the creation of puppet theatre: music and sound effects, story planning and scripting techniques, direction, choreography and improvisation.

In the second week, under the guidance of Ann, David and one guest director, participants will develop a short piece for performance as an overview of the creative process, Participants will take part in the full gamut of activities required to go from page to stage, as they immerse themselves in Puppetmongers Theatre’s innovative methods of puppet design and fabrication.

This program is focused on discovery. It will inspire an understanding of puppetry as a theatre form and integrate this understanding into the practice of visual performance. It is for actors, directors, designers, puppeteers, teachers, and writers who wish to integrate puppetry into their creations.

Participants will be taken on a hands-on exploration of the principles and practicalities of new work development with puppets, under the expert guidance of Ann Powell and David Powell of Puppetmongers Theatre, and guest artists.

Focusing on disparate puppet styles, we will explore elements of puppet design and construction, scripting techniques, the animation/manipulation of puppets, puppets in performance, and we will experiment with the puppet/puppeteer relationship.

Participants will discover how to imbue puppets and objects with the semblance of thought, emotion and life: how to make the puppet appear to think, feel and act as a living being – all to foster a better understanding of the inner workings of puppets, and their potential in theatre.

We offer two scholarships for BIPOC students. Application is simply through sending us an email saying why you should get it. Deadline is “the earlier the better”.

For more information, contact us at info@puppetmongers.com or 416-538-6210