Prague on a string

4 June 2013

Prague on a string

The answer to a student’s innocent question took Whanganui UCOL Art and Design Lecturer Leigh Anderton-Hall all the way to the Czech Republic recently to attend a 12 day ‘Puppets in Prague’ workshop.

Leigh is a Lecturer in the Certificate in Art and Design (CAD) at Whanganui UCOL, and has been making puppets for a while a part of her own art practice.

She says she discovered the workshop was being held in the Czech Republic after one of her students asked her where they could learn to make models and puppets so they could get a job at Weta Workshop. “I decided the specialised programme would be ideal to build on my knowledge of the unusual craft, and then share it with my students.”

She left on the UCOL funded trip in October last year.

The Czechs have a rich history in puppet-making and stop motion film making and Leigh was in puppet heaven. “The workshop covered everything from traditional carved wooden puppets, right through to sophisticated armatures with metal ball and socket joints,” she says.

Leigh and a group of fellow delegates used existing puppets to ‘act’ in a one minute film. Stop motion animation requires 24 still shots per second to make ‘movement’ look seamless. “It was a long process but we also got to use the latest animation software.”

Leigh’s students have benefited greatly from her professional development. Since her return last November, she has challenged them to build fanciful characters inspired by collages of magazine cut outs. “They love the hands on nature of puppet making and are continually asking if they can work on their puppets instead of other coursework.”

“The skills I learnt in Prague have wide applications for design, film making and art practice,” says Leigh. “It was a valuable experience that I will use in many ways.”

Puppet making is only one of several art and design applications included in the one year, full time Certificate in Art and Design (CAD) programme at Whanganui UCOL. Students do four papers each semester covering topics as diverse as print making, painting, photography, sculpture and computer graphic design.

The CAD programme has two intakes per year - Semester one in March and Semester two in July.

The CAD students are having an exhibition of their artworks at the Edith Gallery on the Whanganui UCOL campus to celebrate those finishing next month. ‘Prints and Puppets’ will open on Monday 17 June and be open for public viewing until 21 June.

The CAD students will also demonstrate the art of puppet making at UCOL’s Art and Design Open Day on Tuesday 18 June in the Atrium.

The Creative Open Day covers programmes in Computer Graphic Design, Fashion, Photographic Imaging and Interior Design. It is the first of three Open Days, each showcasing a specialist area.

ends

© Scoop Media