Unima Australia

Australia's Got Talent auditions

Michael Pope, talent producer of Series 2 of Australia’s Got Talent advises that auditions are currently underway,  but that the door is still open until around November:

'Having a look at the talent that has presented so far – there is a noticeable lack in the area of puppetry. Or, putting it another way – there is a great opportunity for puppet companies and puppeteers to present a piece for the Australian public – and perhaps win the top prize of $250,000.'

You can read more information and how to get involved here or on their website.

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

VCA Masters Performances

Also on in Melbourne are the following VCA puppetry program Masters Performances. Please click on the links for descriptions and more details:

Dispatch by Penelope Bartlau,
The Shed, VCA.  Enter via Grant Street, Southbank
Tues 25 Sept – Fri 28 Sept 7 pm

Idja by Jacob Boehme
Grant Street Theatre, Southbank
Tues 25 Sept – Fri 28 Sept 8 pm

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima, victorian college of the arts, australia

Melbourne Fringe Festival puppetry gigs

Melbourne Fringe Festival: All Fringe tickets   (03) 8412 8777

Northcote Fringe Festival 24th Sept. - 13 Oct. 2007
A Feast of Puppetry for young and old:

TADPOLE by Helen Lunn and Philip Millar
Presented by Puppetvision
10 am Monday to Saturday

DREAMER/DREAMER IN THE DEEP
By Richard Hart with music by John Grant
2 pm Monday to Saturday

TYRANNOSAURUS SEX
by Philip Millar and Derek Rowe
Presented by Puppetvision
7.30 p.m. Nightly

PUPPET PALAVER
A plethora of small puppet works and music
9 pm Thursday to Saturday

Plus exhibitions, displays and other puppetry delights

GRANDPA SOL AND LILY’s GRANDMA ROSIE
By Lana Schwarz
Festival Hub, 14 Raglan St, North Melbourne.  8 pm nightly, 7 pm Sundays

THE SHITT FAMILY PUPPET SHOW
By Megan Camerson, Sarah Kriegler, Laura Sheedy, Jacob Williams.
The Backyard, 199 Glenlyon Road E. Brunswick
8 pm 26-29 Sept. and 10 – 13 Oct.

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima, australia, melbourne festival fringe .

Theatre technician wanted in Melbourne

Just putting the call out for a theatre technician (paid - $20 per hour) for a day and an evenings work at the end of September.

There are four puppet shows being staged at the Northcote Town Hall - Studio 1.  We will be bumping in two of them on Monday 24th September 8am - 5pm and then a more complex bump in for Pure Puppet Palaver on the evening of Tuesday 25th September 5pm - 11pm.

We need a lighting technician to rig, patch and plot for us (bearing in mind the venue itself does not come with a technician, but hopefully a helpful supervisor that may be able to answer all of our questions).

Are you are technician?  OR do you know someone who may be able to help us out?

Please call Keira Lyons on: 0407 786 353

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

Call for donations: Unima 2008 African representation

A message from Miguel Arreche, Secretary of UNIMA International:

Dear friends,

During the last meeting in June in Liberec (Czech Republic), the Executive Committee has decided to create a fund of support. The aim of this fund will be, for the year 2008, to enable African representative to participate and to represent their country in the UNIMA Congress that will take place in Australia. During the last congress in Croatia, the African continent was not represented and we think that this situation can change thanks to our solidarity, since the UNIMA budget doesn’t permit it.

The first donations has been given during the Executive Committee meeting by some members, councillors and festivals present there. So we call all the National Centres, Councillors, Festivals and Institutions to make a gesture of solidarity towards our African friends who without this help won’t be able to be present among us in Perth in April 2008.

In order that this help can be effective, we need your donations before the 30th of November, when we will begin the management of the ticket reservation and visas obtaining, etc.

You can make your donation contacting the General Secretariat by phone, mail or e-mail, and we will explain you the best way to materialize your help: by bank transfer or credit card, etc. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need more information.

Sincerely yours.

Miguel ARRECHE
Secrétaire Général

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima, unima 2008, australia

Call for Nominations

Nominations are invited for the positions of President, Secretary, Treasurer and three Committee members of UNIMA Australia Incorporated.

(The current treasurer, Simon Bainbridge, will not be nominating.)

Under our rules, these positions become vacant at the end of every year. Nominees must be current members of UNIMA Australia. You can nominate yourself or someone else. Nominations must be signed by two members of UNIMA  Australia and the nomination must be accepted in writing by the nominee. Nominees are invited to provide a brief CV. Please send nominations to:

UNIMA Australia Incorporated
PO Box 121
Oakleigh. VIC.  3166
to arrive by Wednesday 26th September
(The acceptance may be sent separately from the nomination if this is easier)

If required, a postal ballot will be held after the close of nominations. If you want more information about these positions, please contact any of the members of the current management committee. Contact details are near the back of the Australian Puppeteer Magazine, or here.

The Nomination form is available here.

Richard Hart,
Secretary, UNIMA Australia Incorporated.

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

Krinkl Theatre - Northern Rivers workshops

It seems that the workshops and performances undertaken by Krinkl Theatre and Dream Puppets for the Northern Rivers Regional Puppets project in August were a great success. Lara writes:

'In July and August this year Kyogle (NSW)-based Krinkl Theatre made 502 puppets with community groups in the ‘Northern Rivers Regional Puppets’ project as part of the Northern Rivers Region’s contribution to the Million Puppet Project, a Guinness World record attempt to be held in Perth next year as part of the 20th UNIMA Congress and World Puppetry Festival. These puppets were displayed at the Star Court Theatre in Lismore as part of the ‘NORPA Puppet Theatre’ weekend. This weekend saw Dreamer by Dream Puppets (Richard Hart) and The Fire Bird By Larissa Deak performed to a well receiving audience.

Padi and I were just ecstatic at the response to this weekend. People loved the shows that were presented and were intrigued when seeing how the puppets worked in a question and answer session after each show. When Richard opened the curtain of his set, revealing everything inside the whole audience gasped. To see children and adults alike in absolute wonderment, learning how a shadow puppet moves. Children calling out in excitement “Look there’s my puppet that I made” as they show their parents and peers. These are all moments I will never forget.

The Puppet making workshops were a lot of fun. We made three different types of Puppets with Schools and Community groups: Brush Turkey puppets, who scratched around making many nests, Plastic bag Hip-Hop Puppets, who busted out with countless ‘mad’ moves and sock puppets who always had a good knock-knock joke and song to share.

We met so many great people. Here is who we visited: Lower Clarence Arts and Craft Association, Kyogle Public School, Rous Public School, Rosebank Public School, Nungera Co-Operative, Grafton Regional Gallery, Malabugilmah Community, Pearces Creek Public School, Collins Creek & Wiangaree Public Schools, Coorabell Public School and The Siddartha School.

Keeping in mind the whole fact that we take the puppets with us, participants went through various farewell rituals and each group received a laminated colour certificate with a picture in the middle of the makers and their Puppets. There is also further follow up when we get back from Perth next year and let everyone know what the final count for the Million Puppet Project was.

And again, thanks a Million for everyone’s supper duper effort in making such wonderful puppets! But it’s not all over yet.

Padi and I will be conducting more workshops in September and October with: Bunjum Co-Operative, Ballina, Kyogle children’s week, Big Scrub day, Lismore and A Country Affair, Kyogle as part of the Northern Rivers Regional Puppets project and with ‘The Puppet Caravan’ set to head off February next year, we will see even more Puppets made for the Million Puppet Project.

So all you Puppet makers out there start making and sending your puppets to Perth and be part of the largest International Community project of its kind. Any questions: There are links on Krinkl's website or the Million Puppets website.

This project was made possible through the Country Arts Support Program (CASP) provided by Regional Arts NSW, an Australian Government initiative supporting the arts in regional, remote and very remote Australia.'

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima, australia, puppet caravan, million puppets project, unima 2008,

News from Naomi Guss

Puppets from Melbourne puppeteer Naomi Guss's  show City Head, have recently been used in Amy's Gift, an online advertising film advertisement for CollectZing, a new social networking site focusing on collectors. Noami was also one of the puppeteers, and it is a first foray into film work for her too.

Naomi would also like to publicise a new venture of hers called The Bump In Project, a two-year project which aims to assist Victorian emerging theatre workers. The project is currently seeking applications from Victorian emerging theatre designers and technicians, and full details are available on The Bump In Project website.

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

UNIMA 2008: registrations open!

Philip Mitchell, Artistic Director of Spare Parts Puppet Theatre and UNIMA 2008, has pleasure in announcing the launch of the new UNIMA 2008 website, and registrations being open!

'In April next year the streets of Perth will explode with puppets and puppeteers from across the globe at the 20th UNIMA CONGRESS & WORLD PUPPETRY FESTIVAL! With over 20 staff and volunteers now working at our headquarters, we have produced a program guaranteed to stimulate and blow your mind!   Our fantastic new UNIMA 2008 website has launched and Festival Explorer registrations are now open.

On behalf of UNIMA Australia and Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, UNIMA 2008 will present a program of over one hundred puppetry performances, exhibitions, masterclasses and conversations, and even a puppet caravan which will travel to Perth from the East coast!

The Festival theme of Journeys will not only traverse traditional forms of puppetry but also the unexpected, the digital, the universal, the adult and cross cultural collaborations. It will be a journey that encompasses a global conversation and celebration of puppetry of all shapes and kinds, including dance and movement, acting, circus, mask, digital technologies and the visual arts, and crafts.

Prepare to be entertained and inspired every night at the official UNIMA 2008 festival club. The Transit Lounge will feature both International and Australian puppetry acts, and will provide an opportunity to network with fellow Festival Explorers, UNIMA 2008 artists and staff, and to socialise with friends. This will be the place to share journeys and celebrate your festival experiences. Please note that access to The Transit Lounge is exclusive to Festival Passport holders, so make sure you purchase a Festival Explorer Package!

Sunday 6th April 2008 is Carnival Day, a free day of entertainment for all ages and all puppets at the Perth Concert Hall. Here at UNIMA 2008 headquarters we are being contacted by people from all over the world regarding Carnival Day. It will be an amazing day of entertainment for across the globe! There will be a special performance of The Battle of Ichinotani by Japan's Chiryu Karakuri Puppet Preservation Association. This will be a unique opportunity to see this ancient puppetry tale. Come and join in the world's largest puppet party as we set a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of puppets on display.

The Puppet Caravan is greasing its wheels and getting ready for its extraordinary journey. In February 2008, eight intrepid Australian and international puppet companies will get on board! Commencing on the east coast of Australia they will travel from the tropical depths of northern New South Wales and the metropolis of Sydney to the vast red deserts of Western Australia. Some towns the adventurers will pass through are Lismore, Tenterfield, Tamworth, Dubbo, Broken Hill, Adelaide, Port Augusta, and Ceduna. As they enter Western Australia along the longest stretch of straight road in the world, they visit Norseman, Esperance, and Albany.

For your convenience, we have created a range of Festival Explorer Packages guaranteed to suite your every congress and festival need. Purchasing an Explorer Package today enables you to buy event tickets online before they go on sale to the general public. This exclusive priority booking period ends midnight Monday October 1 st 2007, Australian Western Standard Time (AWST: GMT+8:00). Registration can be made in less than 5 minutes, so make sure you book now and take advantage of the early registration prices! On Tuesday October 2 nd 2007 the full Festival program will be released and event tickets will go on sale to the general public.

We can't wait to see you in Perth in April 2008 for the 20th UNIMA CONGRESS & WORLD PUPPETRY FESTIVAL. Prepare to make a once in a lifetime journey!'

For more information please visit:

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

Tags: puppetry, puppets, unima australia, unima, australia, puppet caravan, million puppets project, unima 2008,