SUMMITUPDATE May 2012

PUPPETRY IS NOT FOR ADULTS. Puppetry is not for Adults Forum “Prejudice against puppetry is the only acceptable form of prejudice.” - David Sefton Following the screening contemporary performance The panel members are: of David Soll’s controversial practice and the place of David Sefton (Adelaide Arts documentary , this puppetry within. Some of Festival), Dan Hurlin (NY), forum aims to provoke, them don’t like puppetry… Roman Paska (NY), Jason stimulate, enrage, and maybe Why? Is that a widely held Cross (Insite Arts), Jo Porter – who knows? – enlighten. It prejudice in the community? (Malthouse Theatre), and promises, at the very least, to How can it build an Josephine Ridge (Melbourne be informative! audience? What sorts of Arts Festival). The panel members, venues and contexts will This discussion will including producers and encourage its growth? What kickstart and inform the rest presenters from both large are the current trends in adult of the Summit weekend. and small organisations, as puppetry and how can they Don’t miss it! well as , will contribute (or not) to discuss the landscape of contemporary arts practice?

1 4th National Puppetry & Animatronics Summit, VCA, 5 - 8 July 2012. “Theatre is a very interesting area for me as a painter and book illustrator, as a departure from the more familiar terrain of

May 2012 singular images without sound, movement or overt dramatic action”.

Shaun Tan UPDATE SUMMIT

Shaun Tan Visual Storytelling Presentation

In this compelling presentation, known as the 'good drawer’, which imagery. Books such as The award-winning author, illustrator partly compensated for always Rabbits, The Red Tree, Tales from and film-maker Shaun Tan will being the shortest kid in every Outer Suburbia and the acclaimed discuss his artistic process and how class. He graduated from the wordless novel The Arrival have many of his works have been University of WA in 1995 with joint been widely translated and enjoyed adapted to film and stage. Red honours in Fine Arts and English by readers of all ages. Leap Theatre (NZ) and Spare Parts Literature, and currently works full Shaun Tan has also worked as a Puppet Theatre (WA) will both time as a freelance artist and author theatre designer, and worked as a contribute their respective in Melbourne. concept artist for the films Horton experiences in adapting Tan’s Tan began drawing and painting Hears a Who and Pixar's WALL-E, acclaimed graphic novel The Arrival images for science fiction and and directed the Academy Award for the stage. Excerpts from these horror stories in small-press winning short film The Lost Thing productions and Tan’s film The Lost magazines as a teenager, and has with Passion Pictures Australia. In Thing will also be shown. since become best known for 2011 he received the prestigious Shaun Tan grew up in the illustrated books that deal with Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, northern suburbs of Perth, Western social, political and historical honouring his contribution to Australia. In school he became subjects through surreal, dream-like international children's literature.

2 4th National Puppetry & Animatronics Summit, VCA, 5 - 8 July 2012. Philip Millar “Animatronics stands Animatronics: the next to puppetry as if it’s puppetry that dare not wearing an ‘I’m with

May 2012 speak its name Stupid’ tee-shirt, all smug Presentation and expensive and Exactly what is it about complicated.” animatronics that segregates it UPDATE Philip Millar from the broader world of puppetry? Surely 'Puppetry and Animatronics Summit' is as much

SUMMIT redundant tautology as 'Singing and Opera Festival' or 'Boating and Catamarans Show' or 'Scientific Illiteracy and Climate Change Skeptics Conference'. Why the separation? Is there something embarrassing about the notion of puppetry? Does it perhaps have connotations of something a bit humourous anecdotes and his own techniques. Since 2006, he has twee, a bit home handicraft, or unashamedly biased opinions, been Head of sculptural fabrication (heaven forbid), made for children? Millar will examine the origins, and creature designer at The Animatronics stands next to history, current status and projected Creature Technology Company. puppetry as if it's wearing an 'I'm future for animatronics. His credits include: How To with Stupid' t-shirt, all smug and Philip Millar is one of Train Your Dragon and Walking with expensive and complicated. Australia’s leading puppet artists Dinosaurs Arena Spectaculars; The In this presentation, Millar will with over twenty-five years Host; Charlotte’s Web; – attempt to demonstrate that experience as a performer, The Peacekeeper Wars; The Lion, animatronics is no more or less designer, maker and director of the Witch and the Wardrobe; deserving of a special credit than puppetry for theatre, film and Tyrannosaurus Sex; Pigs Breakfast; shadow puppetry or Vietnamese television. Millar was awarded a The Hobbit; and Polyglot Puppet water puppetry or visual theatre. Churchill Fellowship in 1993 to Theatre (Artistic Director 1988-95). Through a few examples, study advances in puppetry

Gary Henderson (New Zealand) Writing in 3-D Workshop In this engaging workshop, acclaimed New Zealand playwright, Gary Henderson will guide you through simple, imaginative exercises that will re-attune you to the whole spectrum of theatrical vocabulary, and enable you to get it down on paper. You'll learn how to create a written text that will be an inspirational blueprint for a dynamic visual and aural performance. Bring something to write on and with, and give yourself some space. Gary Henderson is a NZ writer and theatre-writing teacher whose plays have been produced throughout NZ, and in Australia, Great Britain, South Africa, the USA, and Canada. His most well-travelled play is Skin Tight which, on its first off-shore outing in 1998, won a coveted Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe. His most recently staged work in Gary Henderson Australia was Hoy Polloy Theatre's production of An Unseasonable Fall Of Snow in Melbourne, and in NZ, Peninsula at the 2012 New Zealand International Arts Festival in Wellington - described by one critic as "essential theatre in every respect."

3 4th National Puppetry & Animatronics Summit, VCA, 5 - 8 July 2012. Domenic Di Giorgio, Frank Newman & Lynne Kent Get Real! - is digital puppetry the new reality? Forum

May 2012 What exactly is digital puppetry and how University. Newman’s shows have played in does it differ from computer animation? Does festivals and venues in New Zealand, Ireland, it have a place on the live stage and if so Scotland, the USA, China and around

UPDATE does it replace 'old school' ? What Australia including Opera House, The Arts skills do puppeteers now need to practice Centre Melbourne and the Adelaide Festival their craft in the 21st century? Three artists Centre and he has worked with artists such from diverse backgrounds who use digital as the Dell ‘Arte Players in California, Nigel

SUMMIT puppetry in very different ways will discuss Jamieson, Nick Enright and Gary Stewart their work, the technology involved, the and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. challenges they have experienced and Newman is exploring what happens when explain the differences between 3D puppetry and technology meet. Animation, Motion Capture Puppetry, Lynne Kent is a contemporary shadow Performance Animation and what started it theatre artist who has toured, trained and all two thousand years ago .... shadow worked with various companies in Australia puppetry on a screen. and internationally. After training with Italy’s Head of the digital design department at shadow theatre company, Teatro Gioco Vita, The Creature Technology Company in Kent has been exploring innovative ways to Melbourne, Domenic Di Giorgio has built an present a cinematic journey through shadow impressive international career creating using simple materials. Her most recent visual effects and animatronics for feature work Dark Places is a provocation into the films, arena shows, television commercials world of shadow theatre, digital projection and electronic games. After graduating from and live performance. Kent is interested in RMIT and securing his first job as a character exploring the intersection between those animator in the UK, followed by several years worlds and the possibilities and challenges in the USA working on numerous feature that arise from that meeting. films including Pan's Labyrinth, Sin City and Hellboy, Di Giorgio is now applying his skills to creating spectacular creatures for shows such as DreamWork's How to Train Your Dragon - Arena Spectacular and King Kong - Live on stage. Frank Newman is the Artistic Director of Terrapin Puppet Theatre. He has directed, produced, performed for over 18 years. He has a Bachelor of Creative Arts, Majoring in Theatre Technology, from Wollongong

Clockwise from top right: Lynne Kent in rehearsal, Frank Newman and Domenic Di Giorgio.

4 4th National Puppetry & Animatronics Summit, VCA, 5 - 8 July 2012. Making War Horse Documentary film A National Theatre and Seventh Art production May 2012 Making Mar Horse is the story of how Michael Morpurgo’s children’s novel became on e of the most popular and acclaimed productions in National Theatre’s history. UPDATE From its early development in the National Theatre Studio, see how Handspring Puppet Company created the groundbreaking techniques that brought a lifelike horse to the stage. Behind the scenes and into the rehearsal room, featuring interviews with the cast and creative team, Making War Horse documents this SUMMIT unique theatrical collaboration and the creation of a stage classic.

Peter Wilson Pathway to a career in Puppetry: audition/performance techniques Workshop

Director Peter Wilson will reveal useful insights for a successful career in puppetry and tips on how to demonstrate your performance potential in auditions. With many puppetry-based productions, (War Horse, King Kong and Flying Orchestra), currently auditioning performers, this informative workshop is an essential opportunity for freelance performers. Peter Wilson has made an extraordinary contribution to puppetry in Australia over the past 37 years. In 1977, he co-founded Handspan Theatre and in 1993, was appointed Artistic Director for Company Skylark directing many successful International productions. In 2002 Wilson was appointed Senior Creative Fellow at the Victorian Arts Centre. He directed the 1st National Puppetry Summit in 2002 and co-wrote the book, ‘The Space Between’. He headed up the 1st Post Graduate Diploma and Masters in Puppetry at the VCA.

Sue Wallace ImaginArta Summit Club & Marketplace The Australian Puppet Centre Inc.

Highly respected Sydney based Sue Wallace, director of Sydney Puppet Theatre and ImaginArta, will be curating the Summit Club Cabaret and Open Mike nights and will host the ImaginArta Marketplace where Summit delegates can bring, buy and swap puppets, masks, books, and other puppetry ephemera. Prior to the Open Mike night, Sue Wallace will stage an Icebreaker where each participant will be given a mysterious symbol. Your first task is to discover who else will be on your expedition team. Only those who share the symbol may join you. Each expedition team will be given a package which contains some navigation documents and the materials to create your kinetic sculpture, your puppet. There are goals and time limits. Be heroic!

Hurry Early Bird registrations end on the 24 June then full rates apply. Donʼt miss the opportunity to be part of this exciting event for the Australian puppetry community !! http://www.nationalpuppetrysummit.com/registration.html

5 4th National Puppetry & Animatronics Summit, VCA, 5 - 8 July 2012.