Puppetry
Please note that the Puppetry program is not taking applications for study in 2010.
The Postgraduate Diploma and Masters in Puppetry commenced at the VCA in 2004 and caters for students who wish to study and further develop their skills in the areas of writing, design, making and performance in puppetry.
The program would not have been possible without the generous support of Lyndsey Cattermole and Dame Elizabeth Murdoch. This initial support enabled the program to find a studio home base on campus and begin to put together a library of books and puppets and technical equipment for teaching purposes.
Central to the course was the need to surround the program with teachers who are also practitioners and who are highly regarded for their continued contribution to the development and growth of the art form.
Puppeteer and director Peter Wilson, heads the programme and teaches in the area of performance skills. Writer and director, Gilly McInnes teaches the writing and design component of the course with designer Richard Jeziorny. Al Martinez heads up the technical skills subject.
Students work across all disciplines and are given the opportunity to create and present a solo work at the end of first semester. The course has attracted some renowned international directors in its first 3 years including Philippe Genty, I Made Sidia and Petr Matasek.
Graduates have found their way into various areas of the industry whilst maintaining their strong connections to the teaching program at the VCA.
69ºS: The Shackleton Project
The School of Performing Arts’ puppetry course presents a Creative Development showing resulting from a residency with New York City based, Phantom Limb Company: visual artist Jessica Grindstaff and musician and marionette maker, Erik Sanko.
Phantom Limb is critically acclaimed for its re-invention of traditional theatrical forms, incorporating marionette puppetry, music and large scale installation in order to probe issues of contemporary life.
During the 4 week development, Production and Puppetry students have been working closely with Jessica and Erik, who have challenged the puppeteers by placing them on stilts manipulating metre-high marionettes, while collectively dreaming on images, sounds and lights of icebergs and the triumph of the human spirit of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men in the Wonder of the Aurora Australis.
This short ‘showing’ celebrates and shares our adventure into these realms by bringing all elements together in an experimental, potent and evocative Visual Theatre realization led by Jessica and Erik with consultant director Peter J Wilson.
Postgraduate Diploma graduates Hamish Fletcher and Beth McMahon are currently completing their Masters in Puppetry.
Lachlan Plain - Artistic Director of Sanctum Theatre presents one show a month between March and November. The overall season promises to be a disjointed mishmash of ideas and images. Zero Theatre is an animism for the Twenty First Century, bringing to life locations in and around Brunswick through story, revery and revelry. The next show will be Flight by Colleen Burke on the 18th, 19th and 20th of June. Further details are available at Sanctum's website.
May - Penelope Bartlau co-wrote(with Chrissie Shaw)and directed The Keeper which enjoyed a two week season La Mama - based on true stories and told through object puppetry and ballad. Further details are available at Barking Spider's website
2007 alumni (Indirect Object) have just presented their 2007 solos program in the Adelaide Festival Fringe. It was shortlisted for the Adelaide Fringe puppetry award along with 2004 Alumnis work Men of Steel. SIXPACK was devised and originally presented here at VCA s part of the Post Graduate Diploma in Production - Puppetry course.They have also worked on a TV commercial for a New Zealand Insurance company.
Beth McMahon & Michael Bevitt - Writers, and puppeteers - Nightlight
Indirect Object for the Out of the Box 2008 festival, Capetown Sth Africa
Leonie Van Eyk - Puppeteer/theatre maker - Interact: Artists for Disability
Shan Jayaweera - News director - ABC News
Tamara Rewse, Sam Routledge, Hamish Fletcher Puppeteers, devisors
- Mr Freezy Arena Theatre
Alumni from 2006 and present puppetry students took part in Moomba Parade, designed by Richard Jeziorny, who teaches design in the Post Grad puppetry course.
Penelope Bartlau (2007 Masters) wrote and directed a piece for Chrissie Shaw of Canberra. The Keeper is a one woman show based on Chrissie's extensive research into lighthouse keepers and presented in a theatrical style of songs, stories and object theatre. It was presented in the Street Theatre Canberra to very favourable reviews.
Penelope's piece Dispatch will be presented as part of the ASSITEJ Festival (Adelaide) in May 2008
Jacob Boehme (2007 Masters) is working with Polyglot Theatre and the students at Northland College.
-Birrarung project (Birrarung Stories - stories from the indigenous people of Birrarung Marr.)
-3 minute piece commissioned by Next Wave
-ASSITEJ International Festival in Adelaide May (ASSITEJ is the International Association of Theatre for Young People)
Conor Fox, Leonie Van Eyk ,(2007) and Tamara Rewse ( 2004) completed a season of COOP for Black Hole Theatre, at 45 downstairs.
Lyall Morris Puppet maker for the Australian Ballet's production of The Nutcracker Suite. Also puppet maker and performer for Lyric Opera's production of Cinderella at Chapel off Chapel.
Sam Routledge Puppeteer-Operation at Arts Centre as part of Full Tilt program.
Hamish Fletcher Assistant puppet director to Peter Wilson on the Citrawarna - Colours of Malaysia Festival.
Gretta Newall Puppeteer Dreamer for Dream Puppets.
Lachlan Plain Puppeteer "AboutFace Production's' The Legend of Ned Kelly - originally produced by Terrapin Theatre - which toured to Adelaide Festival Centre and Victorian Arts Centre.
Designed the puppets for, and worked with the puppeteers on, the VCA's 3rd year drama school production, The Perjured City.
Shan Jayaweera Puppeter with his John Howard Puppet in The Comedy Festival - Once Upon a Coffee Cup.
You can watch a trailer for the show here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ze6ODqeY68
Sam Routledge, Hamish Fletcher and Tamara Rewse
Puppeteers Men of Steel Edinburgh Festival
Nominated for a Green Room Award for Most Outstanding Ensemble of Performers
Men of Steel-Adelaide-Fringe Festival,Sydney-Big Laugh Comedy Festival,Melbourne Comedy Festival
On Holiday - Melbourne International Comedy Festival