'Trash to Life' Puppet Night

Puppet your way out of despair.

Introduction

"Puppets are not toys. They are worlds. Little, unruly worlds built from whatever the moment offers: a sock, a stick, a crumpled receipt, a strand of thread. They are the republic of the overlooked. They are what happens when you don't ask for permission to create.

To make puppets is to say: this too is alive, and so am I. You can make them alone in your room or on the street corner with your friends. Make them out of trash. Make them out of grief. Make them because the world is breaking your heart and because it is still beautiful in places.

A puppet show is a kind of uprising. It says that joy does not belong to the powerful. It belongs to those who gather in basements and garages and borrowed spaces, who dare to believe that a paper bag with googly eyes can carry a message truer than any press release. It is cheap. It is anarchic. It is sacred.

You don't need to be an artist. You just need to reach out your hand and bring something to life."

- puppet perverts(@avantgossip)

Important

Sunday, January 18th at Rumble Collective: 1516 SE 43rd Ave, Portland, OR 97215

  • January 18th
  • 3pm - Object puppetry workshop
  • 3:30pm - Show n Tell
  • 4pm - 6pm - Open Mic

This event is all ages, but is NOT a children's event! There will be adult material. This is a radical puppet event for artsy freaks.

Please RSVP if you can, but no one will be turned away! Link coming soon.

Object Puppetry Workshop

3:00 - 3:30

Bring your energy and your curiosity! An entry-level workshop where together we’ll experiment with the building blocks of puppetry - bringing emotion, motivation, and life to everyday objects. We aim to show how easy and accessible puppetry is, and how everyone - yes you! - can bring a story to life.

Show n Tell

3:30 - 4:00

Talk to fellow puppeteers and enthusiasts, experiment with new types of puppets, or keep building on what you created in the workshop. Puppets and masks of all kinds will be provided!

Open Mic

4:00 - 5:30

We want to see your authentic performance! Prepare your performances, new and old, your puppets, be they made of trash or treasure, we open this space to see and be seen, and support each other as a community of artists. Works in progress are welcome and encouraged. Is there a piece of music or poetry you love? A movie scene? A favorite story? No matter your experience level, lets all try something new!

Names will be drawn from a hat at the beginning, and performers will get the chance to sign up at any slot they choose.

Guidelines:

  • No hate speech or heckling
  • Soft time limit of 10 minutes, hard limit of 15
  • Puppets and props must fit through a normal door, take no more than 1-2 minutes to set up, and not leave behind anything sticky, wet, or glittery

Resources

More opportunities in Portland (and nearby) to learn how to build and perform puppets!