Simple Wooden Marionette Workshop with Ken Flett on May 20th, 2023, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Simple Wooden Marionette Workshop with Ken Flett

May 20th, 2023

10:00 am -3:00 pm

The art of puppetry enables people to tell stories and foster self-expression through the creation of an inanimate object that comes to life through our manipulations. In this workshop, participants will explore the process of making a simple 8-string wooden marionette. Through the day-long class, each person will design and create their marionette from scratch. The workshop will include the initial drawing of the character, the assembly of the marionette using wooden blocks, dowels, balls, turned components, screw eyes, and pins. In the final stage, the marionette will be painted. After the creation of the marionette, we will string each puppet and begin to understand the importance of gravity, weight, and manipulation in relation to bringing your marionette to life. At the end of the course, everyone will have an original working marionette and an introduction to the elements of creating a simple wooden marionette.

The course will use basic tools, such as: handsaws, hammers, and drills, all under the careful supervision of the instructor. This workshop is designed for the young and old (12+).  No prior experience needed, just the willingness to experiment and discover the wonder of puppet making.

Everything to make this marionette will be supplied. 

About Ken: 

A graduate of the Alberta College of Art with a focus in Photographic Arts, I have over 30 years of experience as a visual artist and educator. My early work focused on using large black-and-white photographs mounted on canvas or wood to create the base for my mixed-media paintings. In 2012, my practice stepped away from photographically based work to one that focuses primarily on pieces created through stitching, embroidery, and mosaic. My three-dimensional work includes sculptures, hand-sewn figures, and wooden puppets carved by hand.

Teaching Approach: 

My adroit use of unlikely materials is a unique element that I bring to the workshops and classes I have offered since 1996. Classes and workshops include: black and white analogue photography, pinhole photography, stop motion, doll and puppet making, mixed media, assemblage, and papermaking. My workshops and classes have been offered across Canada, and in 2005 and 2010, I was invited to participate in the Singapore Children’s Art Festival, where children built scenes in a box one year and paper dolls the second year.

My approach to teaching is to provide students with the foundational knowledge on the process being taught so that they can explore their own creativity through the technique without being hemmed in by the technical aspects. I am interested in allowing space for experimentation and dialogue within each class. Art cannot be created entirely through technique, and my aim is to create a space where the method can be applied to one’s desire to explore personal storytelling through the different classes I offer.

Please note: Contemporaneous health guidelines will be in place. Students must bring their own water containers as well as paper towels.

All classes and workshops are non-refundable. Cancellations made 7 days or more in advance of the workshop or class date will receive a 100% credit.