Learning and discoveries from the Puppet Portal Project, Phase 1: Puppet Making Kit

As the Puppet Portal Project Phase 2 gets under-way, we are working to collectively build on our learning and discoveries from the first phase. These were highlighted in an independent evaluation by SpiralOrchard, to be published by Helium before the end of the year. The evaluation demonstrated that the project had both social impact and creative outcomes. We will be sharing some of the creative outcomes over the next few months, grouped into themes such as: Creative Evaluation Techniques, Collaborative Methods via Video Link, Stages and screens for use in framing a performance via video link, etc. Eventually, these will contribute to a Handbook to support Participatory arts practice including the use of technology with children in hospital which we hope to publish as an ongoing/growing document next year.

One of these creative outcomes is Anna Rosenfelder’s Puppet Making Kits. These were the result of Anna’s challenge to overcome the restrictions caused by the HN1 virus in the hospital which required strict isolation procedures.

Anna comments on the process: “Having to think of a puppetry related activity which allows children on the wards and in isolation to have access to the PPP made me think that this could be a way to generally involve a bigger number of children without having to facilitate it on your own. To prepare simple puppet making kits or another art activity which is somehow related to the theme worked on in the classroom. While children who are able to visit the classroom work with the artist on a video and link up, others make puppets in their beds (or make postcards/draw images etc.). Later in the afternoon images of both activities could be tied together in one image which can be printed out.

See photos of the "How to make a puppet card" Anna included in a bag of materials, which could be assembled into a puppet with no glue or scissors at http://helium.ie/wordpress/index.php/puppet-making-pack/