UNIMA

From the UNIMA World Puppetry Festival

Posted by hil

I’m spending the first few days here at the in Perth at the 20th UNIMA World Puppetry Festival doing the master class Making Ningyo-Joruri, given by Nori Sawa. I’m really enjoying it. Nori says his workshop usually takes a week, so we are working hard to fit it in in 3 1/2 long days. So not much time to dally on the web at the moment! One of the nice aspects so far has been meeting up with fellow bloggers Naomi Guss (who is sharing the masterclass with me) and Gary Friedman.

I’ll have some photos taken in the workshop later on, but here are some taken during the first evening.

Some of the roving entertainers, Riders, were at the Welcome BBQ and Official Opening at the Perth Town Hall last night.

UNIMA World puppetry Festival

UNIMA World puppetry Festival

UNIMA World puppetry Festival

Molly and Jacko were part of the official party and the Welcome to Country given by the local indigenous people.

UNIMA World puppetry Festival

UNIMA World puppetry Festival

The UNIMA poster catches the light on a lovely mild Perth night.

UNIMA World puppetry Festival

Gabrielle Griffin performing at the Transit Lounge:

UNIMA World puppetry Festival

actgov.jpg

My attendence at Unima 2008 is supported by the ACT Government

UNIMA World Puppetry Festival is close!

Posted by hil

The UNIMA Congress and World Puppetry Festival in Perth is drawing close; tt runs from April 2 -12! Check UNIMA 2008 for information and the latest updates; the most recent is here. You can also keep an eye on Unima Australia’s news and events page for updates. The Puppet Caravan, comprising several parties of puppeteers travelling from the eastern states by road and performing as they go, is already on its way. Puppets are rolling in to the Million Puppets Project; be sure to post yours by March 21st ( PO Box 832 Fremantle, WA 6959). There are lots of exciting professional development events, talks, shows and workshops and exhibitions; and freebies available to those who feel inclined to volunteer to help with the festival. The third Australian National Puppetry Summit is running in conjunction with the festival and congress.

UNIMA 2008: registrations open, looking cool

Posted by hil

Unima2008

Aha! The new UNIMA 2008 website has been launched, and registrations are open for a wonderful time next April in Perth! Looks like there are going to be some fabulous international puppetry acts, performances from many Australian puppet companies, exhibitions, master classes, carnival day, and an attempt to set a new world record for the largest number of puppets on display in the Million Puppets Project (you can send a puppet, even if you can’t get to Perth). Appropriately, given the festival theme of ‘journeys’, a bunch of intrepid puppet companies are making the journey to Perth overland from the eastern states in the Puppet Caravan road trip, giving performances and workshops along the way.

There are a range of Festival Explorer Packages and if you get in early and book one now, you can take advantage of early registration prices. This exclusive priority booking period ends at midnight Monday Oct 1, Australian Western Standard Time: (GMT+8.00), so go to it!

I’m hoping to go, not certain yet.


Unima 2008
Unima Australia
Spare Parts Puppet Theatre
Million Puppets Project
Million Puppets Project on MySpace
The Puppet Caravan
The Puppet Caravan on MySpace

Million Puppet Project

Posted by hil

It’s a bit crazy, even scary, to imagine a million puppets of all sorts in one place, but that’s the object of the Million Puppet Project which was launched yesterday (on World Puppetry Day) by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre in Western Australia. Under the project, people from around the world are invited to make and send a puppet to Perth, WA, to participate in a new Guinness World Record: The World’s Largest Puppet Display! This will be part of the UNIMA 2008 :: 20th UNIMA Congress and World Puppetry Festival, which is being held in the southern hemisphere for the first time.

If you need a jumpstart to make a puppet, there are various simple puppet design templates ready to dowload, or you can strike out on a design all your own. Let your imagination run free! Puppets will not be able to be returned to you, but they will be donated to charities afterwards. And when the display is being finalized in April 2008, you will be able to see the installation in progress via a web cam linked to the site.

World Puppetry Day 2006

Posted by hil

It’s today… did you feel the earth move? Hmmm… neither did I. It’s worth reading Michael Mescheke’s international message for World puppetry Day, though: And all around us, this powerlessness is the true strength of the puppet. Because it is part of that “in spite of everything”, without which human beings would have perished long ago. (via Unima Australia, the blog I run for UA)

Unima 2008 website launched

Posted by hil

In 2008, Perth WA will host the 20th UNIMA Congress, Conference and International Puppetry Festival. A new website for the 20th Unima World Congress has just been launched, and over coming months it will be the focal point for new information about the development of this wonderful event.

Updated 2015: broken links

 

UNIMA 2008 Logo Competition

Posted by hil

The deadline for the Unima 2008 logo competition has been extended to accommodate Tafe and other educational institution courses. The due date is now July 22nd, 2005. Details are otherwise as outlined here. Go to it!

The Unima congress and festival is held every four years, and in 2008 it is being held in Perth, WA. This is exciting, as it is the first time it is being held in the southern hemisphere. It encompasses a ten day international festival of puppetry, a conference, and the Congress of UNIMA where the Executives and Councillors from throughout the world meet to discuss organizational and artform issues.

If you are not familiar with Unima, it stands for ‘Union Internationale de la Marionnette, and it’s ‘an international organisation bringing together people from around the world to contribute to the development of the art of puppetry, and to use it in the pursuit of human values such as peace and mutual understanding between peoples’. Here’s the Australian branch site.

Happy World Puppetry Day

Posted by hil

Though its not widely known, March 21st is World Puppetry Day! Dario Fo, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997, released a WPD message through Union Internationale de la Marionnette, (UNIMA), which you can read on the Unima Australia website.

It was rumoured that this wonderful six metre tall Mexican skeleton puppet (made by Karen Hethey and Bryan Woltjen), which was part of the Joondalup Festival parade in WA last Saturday, was likely to make surprise appearances today in celebration of World Puppetry Day.

Handspan Visual Theatre International Study and Travel Grant 2004

Posted by hil

Applications are now open for the 2004 Handspan Visual Theatre International Study and Travel Grant. This is a $2,000 grant, awarded annually to an Australian artist who works in puppetry and visual theatre, specifically for international study and travel.

Handspan Visual Theatre was a Melbourne based Theatre Company which created and produced puppetry and visual theatre performance from its inception in 1977 through to 2002. Artists who worked with Handspan Visual Theatre shared a creative spirit and passion for puppetry and visual theatre. It is this unique form of ‘expression’ that Handspan wishes to support in the form of an international study & travel grant.

Unima Australia has further details and an application form.The closing date for applications is September 30th, 2004.