wOrkshops
Learn "Extreme PuppeTry"
Blind Summit uses a unique puppetry technique, based on 3 person improvisation, which we call "Extreme Puppetry", a method of working together on a puppet without negotiation, pre-planning or direction.
The aim of this method is to make puppets inhabit characters and stories, not just come alive. We see puppetry as a specialised part of acting.
We describe our work as "Bunraku-inspired" which means that it comes from working with and watching 3 man operated puppets and visible puppeteers. It is not in any sense real Bunraku manipulation, but an entirely original technique that we developed over 20 years working with these puppets in many different shows and situations.
We draw on acting methods and teach you to focus your performance into a puppet. An actor directs their performance through their body, a puppeteer performs through their hand.
You will learn how to make an object develop a character, how to make them interact with the world, with other objects, with the puppeteer, and with the audience. You will learn how to bring the objects together to make a single puppet operated by several people.
We work with the other puppeteers, not by discussion or planning or choreography, but through improvising together directly on the puppet. You will learn how to let the puppet guide the improvisation.
You will learn how to "see puppetry". What to look for in performance. What corrections to make. How to direct each other, and how to see story in the puppetry.
We discuss the unique dramaturgy that arises from having a puppet and three visible puppeteers on the stage.
These workshops aim to introduce you to our ideas and give you exercises to take away and practise. It takes an hour to show you what puppets can do, a day to have a go, a week to begin to glimpse the challenges ahead and a life-time to learn.
"Working with Blind Summit technique for a week changed how I think about puppetry 100%"
"Some old rules I took as absolutes - like, the head leads - were thoroughly debunked and now I realise it is a much more ensemble activity"
We run a variety of workshops from an hour, a day, a week, and everything in between.
ONE DAY: INTRODUCTION TO EXTREME PUPPETRY
Warm up with breath, movement, voice.
Fish exercise to learn focus, breathing, fixed point, and the principles of chorus work when applied to puppetry.
Object work - bringing something alive and presenting it to an audience.
Three man puppets. Bringing them alive on your own. Working with more puppeteers. Improvising. Learning to lead with different parts of the body. Character, emotion and thought. Simple movements - walking, kneeling, lying down and getting up.
Brief devising exercise: "My room", "The Table", "telling a joke"
Discussion to recap what we've done and what you can do to develop your interest.
ONE WEEK: THE TRAINING BEGINS
Each day begins with a warm up exercises to prepare us to work and collaborate wordlessly and without negotiating.
Day 1 :
Take the basic knowledge for handling puppet / objects and ambition to push them to a higher level.
This day will also address how the artist perceives what
surrounds them, and the relationship between the audience, the puppet and the manipulators.
Day 2:
Morning: manipulation of the head of the puppet.
Afternoon: text and improvisation exercises for developing material.
Day 3:
Morning: manipulation of the puppet's feet.
Afternoon: text and improvisation exercises
Day 4:
Morning: manipulation of the arms and back of the puppet.
Afternoon: text and improvisation exercises.
Day 5:
Group work on creating a short scene (about 5 minutes).
Day 6:
Morning: resumption of group creation work.
Afternoon: “Work in progress”: restitution open to the skits worked.
Debrief and a review of the training.
TAILORED WORKSHOPS
All our workshops vary from day to day according to the needs and wishes of the group. If you have a particular emphasis that you would like us to incorporate into the programme we are always excited to collaborate to adapt and tailor our approach with you.
Upcoming workshops you can join: Go Here
To arrange a workshop with us please contact:
