24 March 2009

Pageant Puppetry Workshop in Northern Italy

I recently got word of an interesting workshop for any puppeteers planning to be around Italy around June. Master Puppeteers Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles (official puppet designers for New York's legendary Village Halloween Parade) will run a one-week workshop in pageant puppetry, culminating in a community procession for the Summer Solstice and the Feast of St. John the Baptist from 20 to 28 June this year.

Here's a chance to collaborate with international participants and local residents to to create an event grounded in the ritual traditions of Morinesio, a remote village in the Piedmont region of the Italian Alps.
The American puppeteers will lead the classes, drawing inspiration from the folklore and oral histories of the village. Local residents will act as guides to the culture of the Val Maira, leading side trips to a local cheese farm. Occitan step-dancing lessons, and perhaps even a morning of bread baking in the communal stone oven. For more information, and to see photos of past years, click here!

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