Lots to be thankful for.. |
|
|
....and I want to take the time to do it. To all of you who send your child to a puppet camp or a workshop, you who encourage me directly or through social media, you who came to a performance, from the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU! I couldn't do what I do without you! |
|
|
A few years ago, at 39, I took a leap of faith and decided to become a puppeteer (Really? Who does that? Is it just another mid-life crisis?). I had the full support of my family, yet I could feel a little skepticism on how that would turn out (and had my own share of self-doubts). So, I decided to work even harder, transforming the "mother in law cabin" into an efficient studio, learning new skills, building more puppets, developing new stories, writing more grants. While Covid physically isolated us, it also opened a world of online opportunities, I discovered a very supportive community of puppeteers; learned to create functioning puppets from simple pieces of woods from the confort of my studio; remotely attended workshops from some of my favorite puppeteers. And five years after shifting my "career plan", everything is finally coming together. In fifteen months, I was able to create and perform three pieces. A 20 min show for children age 4-10 at the Fairbanks Children Museum using wooden puppets (and inspired by my cat's life in the Alaskan woods); a 5 min piece featuring a string puppet and a multimedia video that I performed with Sean Dowgray, percussionist, during Arctic Fest, and which became a piece of "In a Time of Change" exhibit in a local art gallery (see the video of the live performance when clicking on the picture below); and a 30 min piece for an adult audience created over a year of time collaboratively with Sean Dowgray and Daryl Farmer, mixing field sound, percussion music, poetry and shadow theater and performed in a beautiful Concert Hall. That piece was a dream for me. Something I was hoping to be able to make, one day, maybe, when I would be a real puppeteer. There is still so much to learn and a never ending road of possibilities, but I feel I finally became a puppeteer, thanks to all the support I got since I started. There is no skepticism any more, just the right amount of self-doubt to keep working and a lot of stories to explore and share. THANK YOU! |
|
|
What a treat to finally work face to face with children again! I had such a blast offering a series of Camps at the Botanical Garden this summer, two being exclusively puppet camps! I had the chance to work with my friend Kate again, who has helped me with all the puppets camps over the years. What strikes me each time, is how much the kids are involved in each part of the process, from sketching their puppet, building it, painting it, working on the costume and then writing little stories before rehearsing. They have to overcome their stage freight, and how to perform in front of an audience (family and friends). Nothing of this is easy, and yet they do it with so much energy, happiness, and playfulness! A fun memory, among many, is when at the end of the performance, I asked a family in the audience who their kids in the camp was. They told me, none, they were just visiting the garden and a child gave them tickets to come watch a puppet show! :-) |
|
|
I started offering workshops in my own studio space: a shadow puppetry in the winter and simple rod puppets over the summer. I really enjoy working with a small multiage team of 3 to 4 kids, over one afternoon or a few days. The projects differ from working with a larger group, and other techniques can be explored, which is nice. It also gives extra value to the beautiful piece of boreal forest we live in. As my growing children are spending less time playing in these woods, it feels very special to be able to integrate that environment into my work and bring other children into it. Help me spread the word out: anyone who has a small group of interested kids or adults, should contact me directly to discuss workshop options. |
|
|
MARKET PLACE As a puppeteer, you can sell performances, puppets, workshops, or find grants to support part of a project. Sometimes there is a little bit of all of that, if a balance can be found between these different kinds of work. I tried my first holiday market. It was a great way to connect with the community. I can imagine doing it again in the future. |
|
|
LANGUAGE REVIVAL & PUPPETRY I am very excited to be part of a highly collaborative adventure. In my mid twenties, I spent many month in remote Kamtchatkan villages and that is where I really got introduce to the life in the North. I will be forever grateful for it. It is time to give back through this project: creating a puppet movie of an Itelmen story in Itelmen, in collaboration with the community. |
|
|
PERFORMANCES Mitten the kitten is coming back on stage! Check out the dates and get your ticket through Fairbanks Children Museum website! My own cat, and some sudden warmer days in the middle of winter, directly inspired me for this story! What could happen to a small adventurous cat if left outside for a whole day in the middle of an Alaskan winter. Through his deambulation, he will learn some good lessons, and make friends on the way. The performance will be followed by a mini workshop to take home a souvenir that will probably trigger some more puppet play! |
|
|
Thank you for reading my first Newsletter. I plan to only send you one letter twice a year (spring/late fall), with some updates on what is happening with CHAKPuppetry! For regular updates, Instagram and Facebook are still my go to platform. You received this letter because you either signed up for it, participated in one of my workshops, or showed regular interest. You can unsubscribed at any time, of course. |
|
|
You are always welcome to get in touch with any puppet related inquires! | | |
|
|
|
|
