Introduction to Puppetry Technique
The WeeFestival of Arts and Culture, is pleased to announce a new online workshop aimed at IBPOC, 2SLGBTQ, and D/deaf/HH artists.
Introduction to Puppetry Technique is a 6-part online workshop that will open the door to the world of puppetry for performing artists seeking to expand their skills as theatre creators and interpreters. The program is designed in collaboration with Mike Petersen and led by Alexandra Montagnese and Jeffrey O’Hara, all of whom have extensive backgrounds as actors and puppeteers.
This workshop offered via Zoom, will focus primarily on object/table top puppetry rather than mouth puppets or marionettes and will have 6 parts culminating in short presentations by each participant incorporating their new puppetry skills.
Introduction to Puppetry Technique
Dates: August 24 -29
Times: 2:30pm – 3:45pm
Registration is capped at 20 participants for optimal instructor/studio ratio
Language of Instruction: English with captions. ASL Interpretation available.
Enrolment for the program is free.
Participants should commit to attending all 6 sessions.
Why is WeeFestival offering this course? We’re not a puppetry company but we regularly support the development of new Theatre for Early Years which often involves a range of disciplines-including puppetry/object work! We hope this course will not only encourage artists to add puppetry to their artistic toolkit but consider future creation projects and performance opportunities with us and other young audience companies!
To participate, please complete the registration form here.
Any questions? Please contact info@weefestival.ca
For more information on the WeeFestival visit our website here.
Instructors
Jeffrey O’Hara Jeffrey O’Hara is an actor, puppeteer, and educator, originally from the east coast of Canada. He has performed with Live Bait Theatre, Festival Antigonish, DaPoPo Theatre, Theatre Direct, and Demasquer Theatre. Jeffrey became a puppeteer after training with Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, and has since toured internationally to festivals for young audiences. In 2018, he toured to theatres across the GTA with Theatre Direct/WeeFestival’s “Old Man and the River.” As an educator, he has facilitated workshops in schools and festivals, as well as with Ontario companies Shakespeare in Action and The Travelling Stage.
Alexandra Montagnese is a Dora nominated actor, puppeteer, and theatre creator. She has performed with Theatre Rusticle, Watermark Theatre, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Shadowland, Theatre Kingston, Summerworks, Lucid Ludic, and Fringe Festivals across Canada. She has toured theatre for Young Audiences across southern Ontario, including Old Man and the River from Theatre Direct/WeeFestival, in theatres, schools, and festivals, including the. Alex is a founding member and curator of Toronto’s seasonal experimental puppetry cabaret: Concrete Cabaret. She has facilitated performance training at York University (in the BFA acting conservatory and acting for non-majors), with Toronto’s Shakespeare in Action, with the Akiva School in Montreal, and many online and in person camps and workshops. She is currently creating A Short History of Niagara, a puppet show with Mike Petersen to be presented as part of the Shaw Festival.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS – Creation Residencies at the WeeFestival of Arts and Culture for Early Years
SUBMISSIONS CLOSED – This page is for reference only
In an effort to encourage the creation of new theatre for very young audiences by Canadian artists, the WeeFestival is pleased to offer a 3-week residency for artists or groups, taking place over the 2020 edition of the festival between May 4 and 24, 2020 in venues downtown Toronto.
We are looking for proposals for projects with an intended audience of very young children ages 0-30 months by artists employing puppetry, object theatre, music, dance, circus/aerial arts or any combination of disciplines. Projects can be at any stage of their creation process but cannot have been previously produced.
Successful projects will receive:
- Studio space
- A small budget for materials or technical support
- Dramaturgical support
- A seed grant of up to $2,000 (depending on scope of project)
- Access to all WeeFestival performances and events
- Test performances of the work, in full or in part, in an early childhood setting and for families.
Please include in your application:
- A cover letter outlining your artistic motivation for applying for this residency
- A C.V. or detailed bio
- A project description including your anticipated material and space needs
- Support material related to any previous work in the field of theatre for young audiences
Artists or groups from across Canada are welcome to apply, however the WeeFestival cannot provide travel or accommodation support.
Deadline: November 15, 2019
By email: artisticdirector@weefestival.ca
Selected pieces to be announced by December 1, 2019.
The WeeFestival is grateful to an anonymous donor for their support of this initiative.
About WeeFestival of Arts and Culture
Call for Submissions Wee2020.docx
The WeeFestival celebrates and promotes the importance of quality arts experiences in early childhood, (0-6 years), through the presentation of theatre and performance from around the world and across Canada in a festival taking place each May. Since its launch in 2014, the WeeFestival has presented 35 productions, 4 of which were seeded or commissioned by the festival.