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

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.

Perth wins the bid to host the 20th UNIMA Congress in 2008

Posted by hil

The following is a press release from the Western Australian government dated June 25th, 2004:

Perth beats China and Switzerland to win World Puppetry Congress and Festival

From the Hon. Bob Kucera, MLA, Minister for Tourism; Small Business; Sport and Recreation; Peel and the South West:

Western Australia will host the 20th Union International De La Marionette (UNIMA) World Puppet Festival and International Congress in 2008.

Tourism Minister Bob Kucera said that more than 1,000 participants from interstate and overseas, as well as thousands of Western Australians, were expected to converge on the new Perth Convention Exhibition Centre for the 10-day festival.v

“This is a major coup for the arts and cultural industry as well as the tourism industry in WA,” Mr Kucera said.

“It was a highly competitive bid won against Switzerland and China, and is a first for Australia.

“To have secured such a unique and prestigious cultural event shows that WA is a desirable destination for traditionally European-focused events.

“Hosting international events like the World Puppet Festival and Congress showcases WA as a culturally rich and diverse tourist destination.

“The festival will also give Western Australians the opportunity to see some of the world’s best puppetry performances throughout the city.”

The bid for the 2008 World Puppetry Congress and Festival was secured jointly by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre (on behalf of UNIMA Australia), EventsCorp, a division of the Western Australian Tourism Commission, the Perth Convention Bureau and the City of Perth.

The event, to be held mid-year in 2008, combines a congress and a festival.

Mr Kucera said that the State Government, through a partnership between the Perth Convention Bureau and EventsCorp, would provide funding of $130,000, and the event was expected to generate about $9million in combined direct expenditure for WA.

The event, which is held every four years, was in Croatia this year, with puppetry companies and artists from Vietnam, Norway, Japan, Germany, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, France and Canada in attendance.

Minister’s Office – 9213 7000

Australian Puppeteer Magazine call for reviews

Posted by hil

The Australian Puppeteer Magazine looks at national, international and historical puppetry news and events, reviews, and philosophical and technical discussions. You can recieve your copy by joining UNIMA Australia. The Winter edition of the magazine is due out soon, and the editor invites those of you who have attended recent puppetry performances to review them for the magazine. Please forward reviews to the editor. The deadline is June 10th, 2004.

World Puppetry Day : March 21

Posted by hil

Activities are being organized internationally to celebrate World Puppetry Day on March 21st. The day is to celebrate and recognize the art of puppetry, and our association, UNIMA. Sirppa Sivori-Asp, (Finnish actress, director of puppet theatre, drama, opera and television, ex-President of UNIMA International), has written an international message for World Puppetry Day.

Puppeteers and people interested and involved in puppetry are invited to organize their own celebrations of WPD. You can email information to me for inclusion (take the ‘about me’ link at the top right-hand of the page), and check in here over the next few weeks to see what others are planning.

Do use the ‘comment’ facility below posts to add details or to respond to ideas and plans, too.