Teaching my skills…
Online puppet carving tutorials
If you have read my previous posts, you will know that this year I have been immersed in marionette-making! This frenzied activity has been thanks, in part, to a Develop Your Creative Practice grant from Arts Council England. The final chapter in this saga has been the creation of my first online puppet carving tutorials, which I will be launching in the Autumn…
The idea for the tutorials came about because of the Covid-19 Pandemic. I had originally hoped to launch my first ‘in-person’ carving workshops this year, including one at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen. These were, unsurprisingly, cancelled due to the pandemic. However, thanks to remaining funds, I was able to invest in some new filming gear; the first step towards teaching online!
Rod marionettes and carving kits
I started prepping for the tutorials by prototyping the style of puppet. I knew I wanted to teach marionette making, but I needed to find a simple solution that would appeal to beginner and intermediate carvers. My mentor John Roberts suggested the idea of rod marionettes and the ideas evolved from there…
Having already researched the hoopoe, bee-eater and swallow for my larger marionettes, it seemed fitting to adapt them into rod marionettes. As I carved each bird I took notes, observing my own carving techniques and consolidating them into a clear methodology. From there I hit upon the idea of puppet ‘Carving Kits’, a set of wooden carving blanks in a prescribed design, that participants could purchase to accompany the tutorials. The rest of the process has been a blur of rolling cameras and video-editing, which will conclude upon the series release at the end of October!
The hoopoe, bee-eater and swallow rod marionettes (pictured below) will accompany their larger counterparts in a future puppet show, when live performance once again becomes possible. A new version of the swallow, accompanied by a new goldfinch design, are now the official protagonists of the carving tutorial series! If you want to find out more, you can watch the trailer here. The tutorials will be available on my new Youtube Channel, or via my Tutorials Page, from October 30th, with Carving Kits available to pre-order from September 30th.
Thank you again to Arts Council England for supporting the development of my work this year. Sadly, all future DYCP grants have been dissolved and reallocated due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I was therefore EXTREMELY lucky to receive this grant when I did.
