The art of shadow puppetry provides endless possibilities for how to represent ideas using light and dark. Manufacturing components for complex shadow puppets can be challenging. Laser cutting provides an interesting new way to more easily fabricate complex components as well as a way to manufacture objects which would be difficult or even impossible to create otherwise.
Join U.S. artist Ivan Owen and local puppeteer Emma Fisher as they lead this workshop and share their combined knowledge, imagination and interest in the intersections between art, design and engineering.
This workshop has been designed to cater to people with a wide range of skill levels. Participants who are new to design will be welcome to select from pre-made templates which they can customize as a way to ease into design. Participants who have more experience will be helped through the design process to create their own idea from the ground-up. Stay tuned for example photos and videos of what can be made possible through this process!
To book your place:
Please follow this link. There are limited spaces, so please reserve your place soon!
The workshop comprises two sessions:
- 1pm to 5pm on Friday, and
- 10am to 5pm on Saturday.
What you’ll need:
Please bring a laptop with Fusion 360 installed. Fusion can be installed & used for free for 3 years & can can be downloaded here: autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/
Ivan Owen:
Makerspace Lab Manager at the University of Washington, Bothell & an interdisciplinary artist exploring a wide range of topics. Co-inventor of the first open-source 3D printable hand prosthesis & a volunteer for the e-NABLE open prosthetics community. His past work has included musical composition, metal casting, jewelry, recreations of medieval armor and costume and prop making for stage and screen including Modern Family and Outrageous Acts of Science. His most recent project has been working with Emma Fischer to create a functional, wearable mechanical artistic creation & with her exploring ways in which digital fabrication can be utilized in puppetry.
Examples of some of his past & current work can be seen here:
- youtu.be/SHX2DIpQr6I - large wooden mechanical puppet hands
- youtube.com/channel/UCd8D_QoTmynRkAd_hGTkgBQ - youtube channel
Emma Fisher:
Artistic director of Beyond the Bark inclusive puppet and installation theatre, puppeteer/puppet maker, writer and set designer. She is an Irish Times theatre award nominated designer. She has taught puppetry at The London School of Puppetry, Mary Immaculate College and schools, hospitals and community centers across Ireland and the UK. She is constantly pursuing new techniques in puppetry and is delighted to be working with and learning from Ivan Owens on a Travel and Training funded by the Arts Council. www.beyondthebark.ie and http://emmacfisher.wixsite.com/emmafisherdesign