The St. Ann’s Warehouse Puppet Lab is a developmental laboratory for artists working within the medium of puppetry. For 20 years, it’s been an incubator for new work, and many projects born here have gone on to tour the globe. The new Lab Directors, Robin Frohardt and Lake Simons, will be equally focused on preserving traditions and pushing boundaries of puppet performance work.
How does it work?
Artists and collaborative teams are selected on the basis of proposed projects and meet with the Lab Directors every Monday evening at St. Ann’s Warehouse from November through June. In our meetings, we discuss process, share progress, offer feedback and advice, plus trade skills and technical know-how. These meetings are the core of the Lab and the forum for project development.
The Lab culminates in the Puppet Lab Festival: a four day festival that will give participants the opportunity to present their works-in-progress.
Participating artists receive a stipend and modest funds to help offset material costs, plus access to rehearsal space and professional photos/archive video of the work.
Who should apply?
Prior experience working in puppetry is not a requirement – we are open to artists from a variety of fields. But proposed projects must include live puppetry performance.
We are open to projects utilizing a variety of traditional puppetry forms such as tabletop, bunraku-style, shadow puppets, toy theatre, marionette, rod puppets, cantastoria, etc. Projects that push the boundaries of the medium are what the Lab is all about.
We are open to projects at any stage of development.
Collaborations between artists working in different fields (i.e. musicians, scientists, playwrights, painters, filmmakers) are strongly encouraged. Integration of other media (live music, video, sculpture, etc.) is also encouraged.
We are open to projects that vary in scale, from toy theater to giant inflatables.
Not eligible: Works intended solely for youth audiences, artists who are full-time students.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR PUPPET LAB 2020:
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, October 18th, 2019
NOTIFICATION OF SELECTED ARTISTS: Friday, October 25th, 2019
FIRST LAB: Monday, November 11th, 2019
LAB SEASON: November 2019 – June 2020
FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES: July 2020
Puppet Lab is supported by The Jim Henson Foundation.
