Unima Australia

Coming soon

First of all, I'd like to introduce myself as the new web admin. Last week Hilary Talbot handed over the duties to me, Naomi Guss. If you're not familiar with me, I'm a puppet maker in Melbourne and have worked in web design/administration before. I'm happy to take on the responsibility, and look forward to hearing about all the wonderful puppetry us Aussies are doing. I'd also like to say a big thank you on behalf of the UNIMA board and members to Hilary for running everything so smoothly for the past 6 years.

And now, onto the important things: UNIMA Australia's website will be given a large overhaul and the redesign will be launched in October this year. We'll not only be updating the look and style of the site, but will be implementing a range of new features. The redesign will include: a what's on page, more extensive links, up-to-date archives of the Australian Puppeteer magazine, and a member's only area with fellowship directories to aid conversations amongst our community.

Sean Manners and I will be working on this redesign throughout the next few months, and we're both thrilled to have the opportunity to make UNIMA Australia better and more accessible to members.

Handing over

This weekend, after looking after the Unima Australia website for 6 years, I am handing it over to Naomi Guss. Naomi has a passion for puppetry and the web, and will be working with Sean Manners and the rest of the Unima Australia committee to keep the site up-to-date and to implement improvements. I've enjoyed the insights into Unima and the friendships within the puppetry community that being webmaster has given me, and I wish Naomi, the committee and other Unima Australia members, and all readers here best wishes for the future.

Hilary Talbot

Australian Business Arts Foundation Workshops & Seminars

We were informed about an Artists Business workshop being presented in Wodonga in September by Murray Arts, in conjunction with the Australian Business Arts Foundation, but it appears to already be fully booked.  However, Unima members may be interested in AbaF Workshops and Seminars for the future.

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima,  australia

Navigating and Negotiating Connections workshop for theatre makers

Unima members might be interested in the final Navigating and Negotiating Connections workshop to be held in Melbourne on 6th August 2009. The workshop is intended to assist theatre makers to develop their skills in securing presenting partners for their work. There is a flyer and booking information here.

For more information or to register, please contact Mark Crees at Auspicious Arts .

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima,  australia

Regional Arts Australia survey

Regional Arts Australia is inviting people to participate in a national consultation which will inform future directions for their work aimed at strengthening regional communities through arts and culture.

You are invited to complete their online survey now, available from this page.

RAA is aiming to get 15,000 voices to contribute by 31 July – make yours one of them today, then send this on to your friends and colleagues.

RAA's extensive national consultations (which include both the online survey and face-to-face meetings nationwide) are exploring the role of arts and culture for regional Australians and considering how the arts intersect with areas such as health, education, environment, tourism, technology, Indigenous culture and economic development.

Everyone who completes the survey is in the running to win a stay at a Medina Apartment Hotel in your closest capital city.

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima,  australia

Puppeteering opportunity with Camp Quality

Liz Webby, the puppet co-ordinator at Camp Quality writes with an opportunity for puppeteers who wish to help kids with cancer:

Calling all performers interested in a quirky new challenge!

 The McDonald’s Camp Quality Puppets are currently searching for new puppeteers to join their program which is in its 21st year of operation!

 Over 3 million children have seen our puppet shows, they’re funny, clever and educational. The Program addresses real issues and helps schools create a positive, accepting, optimistic and supportive school community.

To become a puppeteer you will need to be able to volunteer a day a week or fortnight to be able to perform at schools as well as attend a couple of training sessions to learn two brief scripts. Performance experience isn’t necessary but is certainly a bonus! Puppeteers must be over 18 years of age

If you’re interesting in getting involved to be a part of this exciting opportunity, contact Angela Carroll  with your name, age and your contact details and someone will be in contact with you shortly!

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima,  australia

11th Iran International Student Puppet Theatre Festival

Pooneh Mojtaba from the Iran International  Student Puppet Theatre Festival writes:

We wish to announce that the 11th Iran International  Student Puppet Theatre Festival will be held in Tehran on November  28-December 5, As regards the festival makes relations with other  countries and establish cultural ties between puppet theatre groups in Iran  and other exterior entities worldwide and make use of foreign professors which  are expert in puppet theatre and their experiences by arranging workshops, we  sincerely hope that this festival provides suitable opportunities to invite  you to Iran Theatre Schools and Universities.
 
The Permanent Secretariat of festival has started to work in 1996. The  focus of this festival is mainly on Student Theater. The objective of this  festival is to improve University Puppet Theater and also promote the  knowledge of students of theater in Iran. The committee, managers, deputies  and the secretary of secretariat are all students and the advertisers are  professors of credible universities in Iran. They all are elected in the  anniversary election by the students of universities. This festival would  welcome any kind of cultural relations to exchange experiences between  national and international groups in a bid to familiarize Iranian students to  theater worldwide.

We would greatly appreciate if you would kindly conduce us about your  programs and the conditions to respect you as the special guest of the  festival. We, community of students of  universities, will all wait to see you in earnest society of Iran  universities.

Warmest Regards

Pooneh Mojtaba

Deputy of international section of festival

E-mail: poonehmojtaba@gmail.com
 Fax: +98.21.66.48.27.33
Tel: +98.21.66.48.27.33
Mobile: +98.912.712.03.75

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima,  australia

Invitation to Macgeorge Seminar 2008

The School of Performing Arts (Faculty of the VCA and Music, Melbourne University) warmly invites you to the Macgeorge Seminar delivered by 2008 Macgeorge Scholarship recipient, Jennifer Pfeiffer.

Topic: Traditional forms of Indian puppetry: how the processes of globalisation affect the practice of traditional performers in India.
When: Tuesday 28 July, 6pm – 7pm
Where: Cattermole Family Studio
School of Performing Arts
28 Dodds St, Southbank
Please RSVP by Friday 24 July jenpfei@optusnet.com.au or gmcinnes@unimelb.edu.au
or phone 0423 243 516

Jennifer will be speaking about her Macgeorge field trip to India, advancing her understanding of past and present concerns relating to the development and preservation of traditional puppetry forms.  Jennifer is a PhD candidate at the School of Performing Arts, VCAM. She is also an Executive member of the world body UNIMA (The International Puppetry Organisation and a non governmental organisation of UNESCO). She has worked on the UNIMA Asia-Pacific Commission since 1995 under the guidance of Sri Dadi Pudumjee. In 2004 she was appointed Chair of this Commission.

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima,  australia

Ronnie Burkett: Australian tour of Billy Twinkle: Requiem for a Golden Boy

Ronnie Burkett and his Theatre of Marionettes is touring Australia soon with his new show Billy Twinkle: Requiem for a Golden Boy.

August 25 - 29 : Geelong Performing Arts Centre, Geelong
September 3 - 20 : The Arts Centre, Melbourne
October 1 - 17 : Sydeny Opera House, Sydney

UNIMA members may be interested in the presale offer of $15 off for shows on the dates Thu 1, Sun 4, Tue 6, Wed 7 & Thu 8 October (the offer ends Friday 24 July). On the priority page give the special offer code of 'PUPPET.

International Puppetry for TV and Web Workshop 2010

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima,  australia