Cover Girl!

I'm proud to announce that Woozley and I have made the cover of the November publication of the Canberra Weekly Magazine! WOO HOO! Big thanks to the Canberra Weekly, Cole Bennetts for the awesome photos and Allison Redman for the great story!

Mary's awesome photos!

Mary Luckhurst, aka Sealegs Imagery took some amazing photos of me and my puppet creations.
Thanks so much Mary!

PuppetFest Midwest - Some thoughts...

PuppetFest Midwest, as described at: http://www.puppetfestival.org

“PuppetFest MidWest is an independent, annual puppetry festival that is presented, organized and financially supported by puppeteers as a gift to other puppeteers. It is an affordable puppet festival, with an emphasis on showing and teaching the traditional skills of good puppet theatre.

Attend the festival, participate in a 4 day in-depth workshop, and treat yourself to world-class puppet performances. The intimate setting enhances the workshops and performances that are lead by some of the top puppeteers working today.”

This is what PuppetFest Midwest was for me:

It was much more than inspiring. It was watching world class performances each night seeing the different styles of puppetry and watch the puppeteers at work in their element. It was being on an equal level with such artists which was both humbling and encouraging. It was picking the brains of so many other puppeteers and hearing stories and experiences from so many perspectives. It was the support network of 50 puppeteers who believed in you and laughed at all the right places. It was the friendships I made where age had no barriers and who I’ll keep in my heart forever. It was the immense laughter I shared, where your belly and your cheeks would never recover.

It was the ‘something’ that was missing from my life to make me feel complete. It was the longing for knowing there was something out there - but didn’t quite know what it was. It was realising there are a group of amazing, loving, passionate people who had devoted their lives to puppetry.

This was something I could have never even start to imagine if I hadn’t have experienced it first hand.

Puppet Jeopardy - funniest event during the festival

New Puppets!

Just thought I'd share my newest friends with you and get you all acquainted.

Suzie the Dino Age: 5 years old Gender: Female Height: 40cm Likes: Dancing and singingDislikes: Being alone Favourite Colour: Purple Ambitions: To become famous

Woozley Age: 4 years old Gender: Male Height: 57cm Likes: Marshmallows Dislikes: Evil Fairies Favourite Colour: Blue Ambitions: To help all the magical creatures and find his lost family.

Tinkersnot Age: 369 years old Gender: Female Height: 55cm Likes: Magical power Dislikes: Goody-two-shoes Favourite Colour: Gold Ambitions: To steal all the magical power and rule the Fairy Realm

Wilfred Age: 46 Gender: Male Height: 40cm Likes: Women Dislikes: Bad dancing Favourite colour: Black Ambitions: To find his true love

Sexy Mama: Age: 33 Gender: Female Height: 59cm Likes: Female Empowerment Dislikes: The toilet seat left up Ambitions: To liberate all monster women and create equal rights

Papa Joe: Age: 38 Gender: Male Height: 59cm Likes: Sexy Mama Dislikes: Other men hitting on Sexy Mama Ambitions: To marry Sexy Mama

The adventure is booked!

A few weeks ago, I received an email confirming that I received a scholarship to attend a MidWest PuppetFest in the Mid West of America in July this year. An AMAZING opportunity!

After a quick google search I realised there were many other puppet festivals happening all over the country around that time and plans started hatching of the "Ultimate Puppetry Adventure TOUR"! :-)

After some careful planning and help from a great travel agent at STA (Mick Tattam), this itinerary emerged and was booked:

July 1st: Fly to Los Angeles
July 1-5: Holiday adventures in L.A. and touring film sets, etc.
July 5-13: Kansas City and Trenton Missouri: PuppetFest MidWest
July 13-14: Atlanta, Georgia: Center for Puppetry Arts
July 14-21: Wilmington, North Carolina: Port City Puppet Festival
July 21-27: Miami, Florida: Holiday adventures / meeting puppeteer mentor Paul Louis Muller
July 27: Fly back home to Australia....

WOOO! Only two months to go!!!

See the full picture/map here.
Check back soon for updates, photos and PUPPET ADVENTURES!

Peace,
Marianne