Shadow and Light Residency

Shadow and Light Residency At Horse + Bamboo

Details

Day 1 – Shadow puppetry

On day 1 you will explore different techniques for shadow puppetry and shadow play, including creating some traditional paper cut articulated shadow puppets, exploring your own movement in silhouette, and investigating a range of effects through manipulating different materials and light sources. The day will involve devising some short pieces of performance.

Day 2 – Props and puppets lit from within

Day 2 will focus on building a lantern puppet or prop, an item with light inside to be carried in a parade or displayed in an installation. You will be supported to create a design and to construct it. There will be a range of different materials available and a chance to learn about a range of application techniques.

Day 3 – Light painting

Day 3 in the morning you will have a go at light painting, a technique combining movement, light and long-exposure photography. In this hands-on workshop, Tim will guide you through the techniques of light painting (invented by Picasso), showing you how to craft your own unique light art in a 4D space – combining time, motion and light to stunning effect. No tricks, just photographic technique, your input.

Dusking

In the late afternoon of day 3, the group will be participating in ‘Dusking’ both outside and inside the theatre, an event that celebrates the approach of winter and the dark evenings of the season. This will be followed by an informal sharing of our work at Horse & Bamboo theatre.

Please note

During the course you will spend time working in darkness, at times with bright focused spots of light. We will take breaks in the natural daylight.

About the tutors

Rachel Warr is a puppetry director and dramaturg. Her productions have been presented at venues across the UK as well as internationally from Canada to Singapore. Her shadow puppetry work includes trailers for Film Four (winner of a Royal Television Society Craft & Design award), tours of productions with traditional articulated shadow puppets as well as shadow work with less conventional materials including smoke, water and egg white. She is an artist in residence at the Centre for Performance Science, a member of The Art Workers’ Guild and director of Dotted Line Theatre.

Rachel has curated this residency; she will lead the session on shadow puppetry and will introduce the other tutors over the 3 days.

Eilidh Bryan is a puppet maker, director designer and performer. She specialises in creating large scale work for outdoor events and festivals. She has many years of experience making lantern puppets for parades and performances, and has produced work for many artists and companies, in particular she has a close relationship with the Lantern Company, with whom she has been a core artist for 20 years. Eilidh has worked both nationally and internationally to deliver artist masterclasses in puppet and lantern making and has recently worked as workshop leader for the Manchester leg of The Herds, an international project about climate change. She is also joint artistic director of Headstrung Puppets.

Tim Simpson of TSP Studios is a multi-award-winning photographer with over 30 years of experience, renowned for his innovative use of light painting. His distinctive work blends fine art and photography, and he has created compelling images for clients such as the BBC, The National Trust, Manchester Art Gallery, The Big Chill and many advertising campaigns.