A puppet can be a toy, or a way to channel our voice when we need an outlet outside ourselves.
With this in mind, Arts North West has launched The Puppet Project: Lockdown Edition. The project is a creative opportunity for New England North West artists and residents as we continue to cycle through COVID lockdowns.
Participants are challenged to create a 30-second video sharing lockdown survival tips - delivered by at least one homemade puppet. Open to all, a total of 20 working artists in visual or performing arts, 10 community members, and one writer, will receive an award for their work.
Following the clip creation, a local writer will be commissioned to create a poem, based on those lockdown clip tips, with the poem’s debut to take place on Zoom with a puppet cast of participants.
Arts North West project officer Michèle Jedlicka said the community has an extra incentive to get involved.
“We have a mystery judge who will select their top 10 community clips, and we’ll let people know who that judge is soon, but we are thrilled he’s helping out with creative project,” she said.
“It’s a project where anybody can get involved.”
Artist Fiona McDonald helped kick-off the project, and said she had a goblin puppet in mind when she received the invitation.
“This fellow was cheerful looking with a kind face. He had also witnessed my frantic activities during the recent COVID lockdown,” she said.
Fiona’s goblin puppet delivered a song in her clip, reflecting the times.
“To avoid loneliness in lockdown it is tempting to fill time up with activity, but it can get out of hand and become frantic: sometimes it's best to just talk to a friend on the phone,” Fiona said.
Artist James O’Hanlon created a backlit shadow puppet with materials from around the house.
“I love creative challenges with tight restrictions,” he said. “Being given the challenge of making a 30-second message with a handmade puppet made me think outside the box and have a lot of fun at the same time.”
For dates, guidelines and more information about the ANW Puppet Project: Lockdown Edition, go to www.artsnw.com.au.