Craft and Design: Puppetry
Monsters of the Celtic Underground
Exploring local myth and legend to create a three-string marionette suitable for multiple performances
Puppets are multi-sensory storytelling vehicles to spark viewers imagination through creative drama. The students developed character designs for puppets based on the theme 'The Monsters of the Celtic Underground'. They investigated many stories of the Irish demons, monsters, and ghosts of Celtic mythology through classroom storytelling. Character designs developed in their sketchpads were further supported by the development of puppet ID cards. Particular attention was placed on the 'theatrical anatomy' of the puppet; the head, hands and feet. The constructed three-string marionette armatures were assembled from wooden dowel, foam and string. Final puppet 'monsters' were created from mix media. As part of their assessment, the students staged a performance and paraded their finished pieces through the school for all to see. All puppets are suitable for multiple performances
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Learning Outcomes
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Appreciate the history of and define three types of the puppets; marionette, large scale, shadow
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Use new techniques, tools and skills of assemblage (Round nose plyers paper-maché and tape construction)
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Design a puppet character with special attention to the head, hands and feet using brainstorming, ID card template, mixed materials and experimental drawings in sketchbooks
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Construct a three-string marionette armature and puppet character based on the theme and developed sketchpad designs that will be suitable for multiple performances.
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Develop exhibition parade narrative through the illustration of storyboards in sketchbooks, i.e. six cells with two to three sentences in sketchbooks
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Appraise and critique own and peers work through looking, discussing and questioning and using assessment charts
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Perform a puppet parade in the school environment
Exhibition of Student Work
