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Free parade puppet patterns: A list
(If you’re looking for patterns for other puppet types, please browse the other categories as you’ll find more lists there)
I will be adding to this list as I find more patterns; this list is for making giant puppets for parades. Please note that these patterns come free courtesy of the credited people; please respect their wishes for creditation (if requested) if you publish the link elsewhere. This is the total patterns of this particular puppet type listed on this site; feel free to browse for more on my site, but you’ll just end up back here again I promise.
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Events & opportunities, May - July 2012
After a brief hiatus (more like puppet meltdown) I’ve come back to School of Puppetry with more updates about Aussie puppetry events. There’s some info about the upcoming Summit in Melbourne with some amazing guests announced (Oscar winners!) and registration open, some international festivals seeking applications, and some other local shows.
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Events & opportunities, April - May 2012
Once again I have some events saved up - sadly I’ve missed most of them for April. OPEN has done all the work for me, and for those interested in some work opportunities, a few shows and workshops around Australia, some pics of the Tarrengower Puppet Festival, and an obit for a local puppeteer… download the .pdf.
In other news, Queenslander puppeteers are seeking assistance raising money for their film. Those who donate get a few prizes in exchange, like a credit in the film, and/or your own caricature puppet. Their film is based on H P Lovecraft’s short story, Pickman’s Model. If you’d like to help, or want more info, you can visit their fundraising page or their Facebook page.
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Book review: Cabaret Mechanical Movement
I decided it was about time to do another book review, and for this one I have chosen Cabaret Mechanical Movement: Understanding Movement and Making Automata by Aidan Lawrence Onn and Gary Alexander. This was something I picked up at an exhibition of automata at the Perth UNIMA Congress. What is automata? Well, it’s a mechanical device that usually involves cranks and levers to create a moving object. Consider it the early version of robotics. Indeed it was often used by ancient Greeks and others to create magical experiences in spiritual settings. Automata lies at that blurry edge where it’s debatable whether or not it’s part of puppetry or just wooden toys: either way, this book can be useful for those who want a better understanding of devices and mechanics for moving their puppets. Here I’ll discuss the good and the bad of this book.
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More puppetry events & opportunities, April 2012
Sigh, it never stops!
There’s more news coming out about upcoming puppetry events and even though I’ve waited a bit for some to pile up, it’s time to post about it again. For those more interested in more patterns/tutorials, etc. I’m still busy migrating old stuff - just 80 more posts to go! So why not check out (if you missed it the first time around) the interview with Ronnie Burkett and Jonathan Biggins, the Australian director for Avenue Q. Both worth a listen… In the meantime, here’s some upcoming puppetry classes, an invite to help on a music video, and some shows.
Meredith,
... School of Puppetry on What are shadow puppets?Thanks for your comments - glad you like the site. I hope your class enjoys puppetry as much as I do, although I'm sure anyone can enjoy shadow puppetry. They really are a fun and simple form of theatre.