SINCE 2009, LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE HAS HAD A PUPPETEER IN RESIDENCE AT THORNHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL, ISLINGTON. THROUGH A SERIES OF PROJECTS AND WORKSHOPS, THEIR PUPPETEER WORKS WITH EVERY PUPIL IN THE SCHOOL ON PROJECTS WHICH LINK TO VARIOUS AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM INCLUDING LITERACY, DESIGN TECHNOLOGY, ART AND SCIENCE. THEY PROVIDE PUPILS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO DESIGN, MAKE AND MANIPULATE PUPPETS, AND SHARE THEIR WORK ACROSS THE SCHOOL. IN ADDITION THEY TRAIN STAFF IN USING PUPPETRY WITH PUPILS.
FOR FUTHER INFORMATION WATCH THIS ON BBC BITESIZE...
AT THE LITTLE ANGEL PUPPET THEATRE IN LONDON THEY'RE MAKING NEW PUPPETS FOR THEIR LATEST SHOW. THE FIRST STAGE OF THE DESIGN PROCESS IS TO MAKE DRAWINGS WHICH CAPTURE THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTER OF EACH PUPPET. A PUPPETEER SHOWS US THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PUPPETS - A STRING-OPERATED MARIONETTE, A STICK-OPERATED TABLETOP PUPPET AND A GLOVE PUPPET - AND EXPLAINS THEIR DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS. PUPPET-MAKERS THEN DEMONSTRATE SOME OF THE TOOLS THEY USE TO CHISEL AND SAND WOODEN PARTS AND TO CUT AND GLUE FOAM AND FABRIC. WE SEE HOW THE VARIOUS PARTS ARE ASSEMBLED AND HOW A PUPPET COSTUME IS MEASURED, CUT AND SEWN. FINALLY, WE SEE THE FINISHED PUPPETS IN PERFORMANCE.
FOR BEGINNING ANY UNIT ON DESIGNING A PUPPET, OR SOME OTHER MOVING TOYS, THIS CLIP PROVIDES A DETAILED STIMULUS OR TALKING POINT ON INITIAL DESIGN INTENTION. IN THIS CASE, THE FOCUS IS PRIMARILY ON THE CHARACTERISATION OF THE PUPPET; HOWEVER, THE PRINCIPLE OF A CLEARLY FOCUSSED DESIGN INTENTION IS TRANSFERRABLE TO MANY DIFFERENT CONTEXTS. THE CLIP IS ALSO USEFUL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPARING POSSIBLE DESIGNS WITH THEIR FINAL USE IN MIND. FOR EXAMPLE, THE GLOVE PUPPET IS THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN IF THE PUP
