Marionette Manipulation/Performance
Workshop on Puppet Manipulation and Creating a Performance
Description of workshop
At Puppet Manipulation/Performance Workshop students will work with professional puppeteers to create a performance for Prague's annual Teatrotoc Street Theatre Festival. Through this process, they will learn all aspects of manipulating different styles of marionettes, as well as the complete process of building an original show. Students participating in our marionette carving workshop in June/July 2010 will get a discount if they participate in both.
Daily Schedule
The daily schedule is intensive: students work eight hours from 9 to 12, 13 to 18, with morning sessions consisting of interactive lectures and afternoons for practical work. In the evenings, students visit puppeteers' studios, attend puppet theatre performances, and see the best of animated Czech puppet films.
Who is the course designed for?
It is an ideal opportunity for artists, theatre makers, puppeteers and teachers who want to learn how to work and perform with wooden marionettes.
Students will be selected on the basis of their experience, and all applicants should send photos of their work with the application. There will be maximum 12 students.
Workshop fee
10,000 Czech Crowns (approx 380 Euro, $570 USD). For actual exchange rate see here. Students who are also taking the June/July marionette carving workshop will get the reduced fee of 8,000 Czech crowns (310 Euro or $461).
Price includes all materials, local transportation costs, tickets to performances. To confirm place in the workshop, applicants must send a deposit (details will be sent upon acceptance).
Accommodations/Food
The fee does NOT include accommodations during the workshop. From July 10-14 students will be given festival accommodations for free in another facility.
Accommodations with shared bathroom facilities can be arranged for participants in Pension Jana, a comfortable, clean hostel located in a residential area a five minute walk from the workshop. The price for the January 2010 workshop is about 400 Czech crowns (approximately 14 Euro per night) for a double room, 500 Czech crowns (approx. 19 Euro) for a single room (includes breakfast), or 380 Cz crowns for a dormitory room. For more informaton, go to the Pension Jana web site: www.dhotels.cz.
If participants prefer other accommodation, we can provide contacts to booking agencies in Prague.
Participants can cook meals in a small kitchen in the workshop or eat in local Czech restaurants (approx. 5 Euro for lunch).
Location of Workshop
The workshop of Miroslav Trejtnar, located ten minutes from the historical center of Prague in the Vrsovice neighborhood, on Holandska Street. The festival will be held on Kampa Island in the center of Prague
Teachers
Miroslav Trejtnar
Leader of workshop.
Miroslav Trejtnar graduated with high honours from the puppet design department of the Prague Academy of Performing Arts. He has trained with Institut UNIMA in Charleville - Mezieres in France. In 1989 he started the KID Company, designing and producing wooden puppets, toys and sculpture.
Mirek's art has been exhibited around the world, including at several UNIMA festivals. He has designed puppets for numerous productions, including "The Baroque Opera" by the Forman Brothers. He has also produced puppets for the Jiri Trnka animated film studio in Prague.
Mirek has taught hundreds of students at Puppets in Prague workshops. He has also taught for the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, St. Martin’s College of Design in London, New York University in Prague, Chapito Circus Academy in Lisbon, Portugal, and in Macao and Hong Kong.
Dora Bouzkova
Manipulation
Dora studied puppetry at of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. She has performed with numerous Czech theatre companies, including the award-winning company SKUTR. She has spent much time in Mexico leading puppet workshops and performing for people of all ages. She is a founder the company Puppets Without Borders.
Leah Gaffen
History, Organization
Leah Gaffen is an Ameican who has lived in the Czech Republic for fifteen years. She founded the Puppets in Prague workshops with Mirek Trejtnar, and has worked with him as a producer for the course since then. She has also done production and translating work for the Prague Theatre Academy and numerous theatre education projects.
Photo gallery
At the beginning of the course, a professional puppeteer helps students become familiar with different types and sizes of marionettes. Our goal is for students to understand basic operations of a marionette.
The main part of the worskhop is focused on creating a show. Students will create a short, original performance which they think up themselves. A professional director will work with students to teach them manipulation of puppets and help the students put the piece together.
On the last three days of the workshop, students will perform for hundreds of people at the Teatrotoc Street Theatre Festival. There will be many other performers at the festival from the Czech Republic and abroad... an exciting chance to get inspiration and make friends!
The workshop also includes lessons about puppet history and visits to theatre performances and exhibitions.
