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Marianne unveils the ancient secrets of puppetry

CANBERRA puppeteer and puppet-maker, Marianne Mettes, is calling for kids 12 and under to join her puppet club.

Marianne Mettes
Marianne Mettes

After training under puppet masters from all around the world and performing and teaching puppetry in schools, events, centres and festivals all over Canberra, NSW and even in the USA Mettes is now launching her own self-funded puppetry school that she has dubbed ‘Puppet Club’.

The idea is to establish a place kids can come to learn about, create, play and perform puppetry in a more permanent place all year round.

Overs the year Mettes has run residencies at Belconnen Arts Centre, the National Museum of Australia, The Street Theatre, Ainslie & Gorman House Arts Centres, Tuner School, Duffy Primary and Isabella Plains Primary.

A highlight of her career was working as Head of Puppetry in the USA in a specialised artistic summer camp partially funded by Sesame Street Workshop.

“Being able to see the same kids and work with them over a longer period of time has so much more benefit than just visiting a school classroom for an hour. You build trust and are able to guide students to reach their full potential,” she says.

Puppetry Students Group - Photo by Dayna Ransley
Puppetry Students Group – Photo by Dayna Ransley

In the past year Mettes has been working in smaller groups of children from non-English speaking backgrounds and with various forms of Autism and disability.

“Puppetry is such a great way to make anyone, from whatever background or ability to feel like they can be silly, confident, funny, etc. Sometimes people think they can’t sing or dance, but when you have a puppet it doesn’t matter, because it is your puppet performing – not you.”

Parental supervision and involvement will be encouraged and she’s even created a class specifically for even the youngest puppeteers (babies and toddlers) to be able to come join the fun with their mum or dad.

“I can’t describe how incredibly excited I am to meet the newest group of budding puppeteers and help them create magnificent works of art that come from within their hearts.”

Mettes is launching her club on February 1, with four courses aimed at children of all ages from babies (to attend together with a parent) to up to 12years. The courses conclude with a performance for family and friends on April 2. Longer terms are already planned for the rest of 2016.

Marianne Mettes’ Puppet Club, for more info and enrolments, visit trybooking.com/JULM and www.puppetoodle.com/school

 

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Helen Musa

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