AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

International Workshop & Lecture Tour for Europe, Canada and the United States : Please BOOK NOW!!

Contact Gary Friedman, Gary Friedman Productions and AfricanPuppet.com, info@puppetrynews.com

http://WWW.PUPPETRYNEWS.COM and http://www.africanpuppet.com

Sharon Gelber, internationally-certified Occupational Therapist, workshop coordinator and learning/movement consultant, and Gary Friedman, acclaimed Master Puppeteer and puppetry-in-education and creativity consultant, are pooling their resources to bring you a new look at creativity and learning.

This dynamic duo are now offering not only a workshop to explore creativity but also the science behind activating the brain to prime the learner, student, and executive for thinking and performing creatively.

In 2005, Gary Friedman conducted an international tour, bringing the world of puppetry, objects, and paper to high school and university students. Participants were given the opportunity to explore their creativity using the most unlikely of media and create short theatrical pieces.

In 2007, Friedman will be joined by Sharon Gelber, touring schools and universities throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States, to bring some "sustainable science" into the mix, leaving participants with specific tools and techniques--which can be used both in the classroom, office and at home--that will keep their brains, eyes and ears awake, focused, organised, de-stressed and in a creative space for effective learning. Creativity is always required--from mathematics to football, and from IT to dramatic performance--and we all need creative lateral thinking, for outside-the-box problem-solving and confidence-building.

Full Workshop and Lecture information:

Our workshops allow free expression, without the limitations of language and this works especially well in multi-cultural institutions or communities. The puppet breaks down barriers in a magical world where anything can happen!

Our Short Workshops: (Three hours to One Day)

In each of the following workshops, Brain Gym exercises will activate the brain and senses to prime the body for creative processing. At the end of each workshop the group will be assisted in making the leap of how they can use the concepts behind the puppetry work as well as the techniques themselves to enhance their daily creativity. Brain Gym is a set of simple movement exercises that offer great ways to integrate the whole brain for enhanced learning and performance.

1) A Paper Meditation Workshop
The workshop takes a practical hands-on and experiential format, where participants express themselves and communicate through the medium of paper. The participants experience the sound the paper makes when touched and when moved. The paper can form shapes and move in different ways. The sheet of paper becomes the co-performer. It becomes the metaphor through which the message is passed to an audience. During their short performances, the participants work in groups to explore different themes and topics, using the paper to form the characters, props and set. This workshop is guaranteed to break down barriers and open up creative channels.

2) Object Improvisation Workshop
In the darkness, by means of touch, the participants choose objects that appeal to them. Thereafter, the participants work in groups to explore the hidden possibilities of their objects. Different suggested themes and topics allow the objects to be brought to life, as they become "living-breathing" characters on the stage.

3) Hand and Ball Exercises � Basic Puppet Manipulation
The naked hand forms the basis of the puppet. This soon becomes a basic hand or glove puppet, when a plain white ball is added. The participants perform behind a black cloth, out of sight of their audience, which allows them the freedom to perform. The hand and ball exercises are later developed into short scenarios and performed by the participants, both individually, then in groups. A complete character is instantly created in the audiences' mind.

Specialized Workshops: (One or Two Days)

1) Telling the Stories: Playback Puppetry
This is a full-day or two-day workshop, providing a safe platform for participants to tell their stories and deal with their life-issues. The medium of paper and objects are used to convey the message. Drama therapy techniques and theatre games encourage the groups to choose meaningful stories to tell. The divided groups come together at various stages to present their short performances to the entire group. This allows discussion of the issues and conflicts which have emerged, with possibilities and options for resolution.

2) The Language of Conflict and Language of Peace
In a world that is governed by the language of war, fear, drugs, AIDS, violence and reconciliation, we are offering a workshop to explore these themes in a practical and creative space, the objective of which is to provide a safe environment to voice opinions on sensitive issues. The medium of paper and objects will be explored as our theatrical tool. Puppetry has always been used to provoke an audience into facing these challenging issues. The groups come together at various stages to present their piece to the whole group, discussing the issues, which have emerged with possibilities and options for a change of perception.

Lectures: Demos which take the form of an interactive discussion, with audio-visual examples on each topic (Lectures can vary from 60 to 90 minutes each)

1) History and Traditions of World Puppetry
The history of the world's oldest art form didn't start as an art. From the religious to the political function, from the social and educative function to modern entertainment, we will discover how puppetry has always played a role in world culture, from early history until today.

2) Puppetry in Education and Development
Puppetry has been used to communicate social, health, and development issues to communities all over the world. In this workshop, Friedman will discuss some of the projects he has been involved in throughout Africa, Europe, North America, Australia, as well as in many island communities, to put across difficult and culturally sensitive issues and messages related to HIV/AIDS, corruption, drugs, sex education and abuse. Many of the projects were filmed and he will show short video clips and explain how these were implemented.

3) Puppetry in Therapy
Puppetry has been used to resolve conflict, assist in delving into pscho-socio trauma and role play in pscho-drama for many years. We will discuss some of the techniques used and their benefits to the patient and society.

4) Puppetry on Television
Puppetry for television takes us into an entirely different world to live theatre. The Muppets and Sesame Street are probably the best known examples where puppetry has been used successfully on television. But there are many others! We start to understand the complex world of television and how the audience can be easily tricked by the camera. We will show examples of television puppetry from around the world and discuss the techniques used.

5) Brain Gym: "Learn to Move, Move to Learn"
This lecture outlines the basic concepts behind what makes a "good learner", describes the stress response, and discusses the results of stress in our body and its effects on learning. This is the background to understanding how movement and "Brain Gym" in particular is so powerful in relaxing and activating the brain and body and priming the system for optimal learning. The bulk of the lecture consists of practical tools which can be used by learners of all ages (children and adults) to decrease stress, and improve focus, organisation, and communication in the brain; as well as activate the eyes for improved reading and comprehension, and ears for optimal listening.

For more information and bookings, please contact Gary Friedman at info@puppetrynews.com

NEW PUPPETRY FILMS WEBCAST LIVE
Our puppetry films are finally being webcast live, thanks to Google Video. The first short film to be made available online is 'Puppets in Prison'. The entire series of films are listed here under PUPPETRY FILMS LIVE WEBCAST in the right-hand column.

http://africanpuppet.blogspot.com/2006/10/new-puppetry-films-webcast-liv...

This was posted on the Art4Development Yahoo! Groups listserv.