Unima Australia

Puppets in Prague workshops, 2009

Leah Gaffen and Mirek Trejtnar from Puppets in Prague are offering more exciting overseas workshops over the northern summer months!

For ten years, Puppets in Prague has brought hundreds of students from around the world into the magical world of Czech puppetry and marionettes. Master puppeteer Miroslav Trejtnar leads workshops with a team of Czech puppet artists.

Marionette Carving: In our classic workshop, you design and create a beautiful hand-carved wooden marionette - and take it home with you!

Puppet Film Animation: Learn how to design a puppet for stop-motion animation (including how the interior skeleton is constructed).

Manipulation and Performance: Students work with professional puppeteers to learn the intricacies of marionette manipulation. They will create a performance for TEATROTOC, an international Street Theatre Festival taking place in the historical center of Prague. 

Applications available on the web site, www.kidpraha.cz.  For more information, contact info@kidpraha.cz

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

Morinesio's Midsummer Pageant

Sophia Michahelles from Superior Concept Monsters invites us to become involved in the 8th Annual Pageant Puppetry Workshop in Northern Italy which is being held June 20 - 28, 2009 in Morinesio!

Join us for a one-week workshop in pageant puppetry, culminating in a community procession for the Summer Solstice and the Feast of St. John the Baptist. Collaborate with international participants and local residents to to create an event grounded in the ritual traditions of Morinesio, a remote village in the Piedmont region of the Italian Alps.

Master Puppeteers Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles (official puppet designers for New York's legendary Village Halloween Parade) will lead the classes, drawing inspiration from the folklore and oral histories of the village. Local residents will act as guides to the culture of the Val Maira, leading side trips to a local cheese farm, Occitan step-dancing lessons, and perhaps even a morning of bread baking in the communal stone oven.

The workshop will be hosted by Christa and Fritz Gaebler at Casa dei Fiori, an authentically restored complex of traditional stone farmhouses. An international chef, Christa will introduce participants to the delicate tastes of Northern Italian summer, with gourmet meals prepared daily from local produce and mountain cheeses.

For more detailed information, and to see photos of past years, visit our website:
www.superiorconcept.org/Morinesio

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

World Puppety Day message

Please download Petr Matásek's World Puppetry Day message and drawing.

Jacques Trudeau, UNIMA General secretary, writes

Dear friends,

Spring has arrived in the northern hemisphere, Fall in the southern hemisphere and at the same time the World Puppetry Day.
Let's celebrate! We have received proofs from everywhere on this beautiful planet Earth that Puppetry is fully alive and wants to stand up for a better recognition of its art. Many manifestations will take place on the 5 continents by March 21th 2009. It's our Day!
Continue to send us your e-mails explaining the way you are celebrating this event in your own country.
I want to thank Petr Matasek for his generosity. He wrote a beautiful message for the occasion.

This year, UNIMA has chosen the great Czech scenographer Petr Matásek to write and illustrate the Message of the World Puppetry Day, which will be celebrated on March 21th 2009. Let's remember that UNIMA will celebrate in Prague, during the month of May, its 80 years of existence.

Famous scenographer born in Prague, Petr Matásek, head designer for Theatre DRAK and AlFA. His work has been acclaimed by the critics. Invited to give masterclasses and workshops in more than 20 countries, he has also received many awards and international tributes.

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