Shadow puppetry is generally the most accessible form of puppetry as very spectacular results can be achieved in the shortest time using the minimum of materials and the simplest of methods.
On the other hand, as with all the types of puppet mentioned here, the longer the length of the project, the more one can explore and achieve.
There are very many materials that can be used to make shadow puppets, as well as ways to make shadows of many different qualities. The most common type of shadow puppet workshop involves making very simple puppets out of thin card and using coloured cellophane or lighting gel to create colour. Many other ways of casting shadows can be explored however, including the use of our own bodies and different light sources.
Therefore this type of workshop is ideal for exploring light and shadow within the National Curriculum.
This workshop can be presented with reference to the following productions:
Aladdin, Alice and the White Rabbit, Jungle Book, SeedHeart, The Lost Forest & The Worm that Squirmed – or through our company collection of shadow puppets from around the world, including examples from India, Indonesia, Cambodia & China
Contemporary Shadow Theatre Techniques
Contemporary Shadow Theatre
Participants explore techniques of light and shadow to discover how a simple everyday object can transform into a scene from a science-fiction film, or how their own bodies might transform into a lumbering giant with a new head.
Experimenting with the use of different and multiple light sources, corridors of light, assorted colours and a 4 metre deep projection area with a huge screen, the potential of shadow theatre unfolds an exciting world that can inspire many new creative projects while also illustrating basic principles of shadow and light in a fun, visual and very memorable way.
References are also made to the traditional background of South East Asian puppetry and its social significance.
This workshop can be presented with reference to the following productions:
Mermarella – Cinderella of the Sea, Jungle Book, Aladdin, Alice and the White Rabbit, Jungle Book, The Lost Forest & The Worm that Squirmed – or through our company collection of shadow puppets from around the world, including examples from India, Indonesia, Cambodia & China
