Marionette Residency

Marionette Residency At Horse + Bamboo

A 3 day practical course on working with marionette string puppets. During the course you

will learn core techniques for both performing with and making marionettes. While

three days is too short a time to master marionettes this course will give you a broad

understanding and feel for working with this expressive puppet form.

If you would like to apply for a place, please email info@horseandbamboo.org with a short paragraph explaining why you think you would be appropriate for the residency. Deadline to send applications is 20/10/24

Details

Day 1

On Day 1 you will learn the process of designing, making and operating a marionette (or string puppet) using found objects. You will explore weight, gravity, stillness and movement through strings. You will make a marionette from found objects, with Sian Kidd in her ‘Boney Wonders’ workshop. Sian will provide materials but participants are invited to bring along their own objects that they may wish to incorporate in to their puppets.

Day 2

Day 2 will focus on performing with marionettes, including the opportunity to work with traditional marionettes provided by Michael Dixon from the National Puppetry Archive, and your own marionette from day 1. You will explore how marionettes express and communicate in performance and create a short scene. The day will finish with a marionette film session with popcorn.

Day 3

On Day 3 marionette makers Jan Zalud and Laura Mathews will join us to share insight into the techniques they employ when designing and making marionettes. Laura will lead a practical session on mechanics, where participants will build a working linkage and learn how it can help control and extend motion for legs, wings and other moving parts. Towards the end of the day we will consolidate the work explored over the three days and there will be a gentle, informal sharing of the work to a small invited group of friends.

About the tutors and contributors

Siân Kidd is a Bristol-based artist, puppetry practitioner, and food justice advocate committed to sustainability. Specializing in marionettes, she combines puppetry and storytelling to explore the folklore behind natural materials and found objects. Siân has performed nationally and internationally for theatre and TV and regularly performs as a storyteller. She has been an associate puppetry director for The Royal National Theatre,

Artistic Director of Mirth & Misery, and worked extensively with The Puppet Theatre Barge. A qualified play worker and forest school leader, she was the puppetry tutor for the Creative Dimensions Trust and the Mary Ward Centre and has taught at institutions like The Central School of Speech and Drama, Dulwich College, Polka Theatre and Falmouth University.

Michael Dixon

The National Puppetry Archive consists of two main collections: the archive of The British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild, the oldest puppetry organisation in the world, and the personal collection of its Archivist and long time collector, Michael Dixon.

Laura Mathews is an artist and puppet maker who is deeply fascinated by biological mechanics. Her work investigates the details of animal locomotion, carefully recreating them using a blend of contemporary and traditional woodworking techniques. Each puppet can take years of anatomical research, prototyping and refining. This meticulous process results in truly lifelike movements and convincing interactions. Originally, Laura made posable animal sculptures, before returning to her childhood love of marionettes, bringing her work to life in a new way.

Rachel Warr is a puppetry director and dramaturg. Her puppetry productions have been presented at venues including The Barbican Centre, Little Angel Theatre and Norwich Puppet Theatre as well as internationally. Her marionette work includes performances with Tiller-Clowes marionettes at the V&A Museum, touring to libraries with contemporary marionette work for children, and cross-discipline performance between marionette, puppeteer and contemporary dancer. Last year she organised a celebration of marionettes at The Art Workers’ Guild in London. Rachel has curated this residency and will be there to facilitate the different activities over the course of the 3 days.

Jan Zalud starting making rough and ready puppets as presents from driftwood in 1978 as a distraction from painting large abstracts. In the early 80’s a Crafts Council grant and support helped him to exhibit them nationally and internationally. Making contact with Little Angel Theatre in 1994 resulted in becoming a part time resident carver and creating puppets for many shows including: Go Noah Go, Grimaldi, Sleeping Beauty in the Woods, Venus and Adonis, and the Tear Thief. He has also carved puppets for Royal Shakespeare Company, Norwich Puppet Theatre, Kneehigh Theatre, Polka Theatre and Puppet Theatre Barge among others.