Puppeteering giant puppets w/VIP PUPPets

Verksted over tre dager pluss visninger under festivalen. Workshop will be held in English

TRENING I DUKKEFØRING MED GIGANTER: Paradedukker av Giraffer, løver og aper i naturlig størrelse. 

In this workshop, Rowan Watts & Aisling Leyne can work with a mix of both highly trained puppeteers and people new to the art. Those with skills in dance, mime, physical theatre, devising, improvisation and children’s theatre are perfectly suited! Performers will need to have a good level of physical fitness.  

(PS: If you need help finding affordable accomodation for the workshop days, contact us at post@figurfestspillene.no and we can help you)

A basic breakdown of the workshops days:

Day 1: Puppet skills workshop, training in focus, weight, breath and teamwork, linked specifically to giant puppets. The main focus of the day will be to get performers working well together in teams and bringing group focus to the performance. (if performers have worked together closely before, or are friends, we may team them up) At the end of this day puppeteers will have a chance to try out some of the different puppets. This will prepare performers for day 2 and give our team a chance to assess who will work best on which Puppet/place within Puppet, which will be allocated by the end of the day. There are also a number of outside roles which may work well for those at the beginning of their puppeteer journey, or those who are especially good at public interactions. 

Day 2: Performers will continue their journey of working together in teams but in their specific Puppets. (Dependant on numbers, teams may swap in and out of puppets through the day, spending half the time viewing and directing Puppets, giving feedback and half the time learning their craft from within). As well or instead of this, we will film sections of the rehearsals and play back to the puppeteers with specific feedback.  

VIP Puppet movement specialist will split her time equally between each puppet group, on rotation throughout the day, allowing time in between for the team to practice. VIP Puppet maker, will spend some time throughout the day with each group, training them in setting up and breaking down each puppet. 

The process and training will be constantly adapting throughout the workshops to tie in with the skills and strengths of the trainees. Once teams are confident within individual puppets, Puppeteers will to start with learn 3 short performance sections (things the puppet can do: eg for Dolly the Giraffe: Walk, eat, poo) the puppets will begin the process of developing interactions between each other and the public. 

Day 3: All the puppeteers should be confident with specific movements necessary for their puppet and can now begin the process of developing these into their acts with their outside performer working as trainee director also). Teams will weave their three (or more) actions into a mini show, then develop ways to draw their audience into the action, and start to become confident at improvisation. Potentially working out interactions between animals also.

Puppeteers will spend a portion of time each day learning how to assemble the puppets and pack them down at the end of the performance.

At the end of day three there will be a rehearsal performance. Performers will get a chance to view each other’s work and learn from each other/give peer feedback. We will invite a friendly outside audience, families and friends of the performers, or even staff/volunteers from the festival etc. This will give performers a chance to interract and build on their improvisation skills. 

Performance Days : The real learning begins! One member of our team will continue to work with the Acts. Giving feedback and encouragement throughout. 
Walkabout will be Friday 23.01 13:00-14:00 + Based on availibilitly of participants, possibility participating in the Parade on Saturday 13:30

MEDVIRKENDE:

Rowan Watts and Aisling Leyne 

Nettside: https://vippuppets.com