Junk Puppet Workshop

Simple yet stunningly effective hand puppets created from ‘junk’ materials. A Major Mustard Workshop Day begins with a demonstration show followed by an explanation of making techniques and skills. The rest of the morning session is taken up with the making of the puppets. In the afternoon, participants are given ideas and suggestions for bringing their puppets to life with movement and action as well as learning how to give their puppets a voice. After a session on how to create and build a show the puppeteers divide into groups and work on short shows, the performance of which ( to the other groups) concludes the day.

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Shadow Puppet Workshop

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Major Mustard introduces children to the medium of shadow puppetry with a performance of a short series of shadow stories. An explanation and demonstration of the techniques required to make the puppets then follows. After a making session of about 1 ½ hours participants should have all made a puppet. A break (usually lunch time ) follows after which Major Mustard shows ways and techniques for performing a shadow story and the participants all perform with their puppets behind the large screen.

 

 

Junk puppet and shadow puppet workshops usually last a day. Major Mustard is very happy to discuss the possibilities of two-day workshops, short residencies or mixtures of performance and workshop.

 

Storytelling Workshop

"Making Stories" - "Telling Stories" : these are the main elements of a Major Mustard Storytelling Workshop. Tailored for KS1 or KS2 (or older), these workshops help develop listening, speaking and language skills through communication and co-operation.

Major Mustard starts the workshop by telling a selection of short stories. He works with the students to discover how stories are made. Then, in pairs or groups students create their own stories. Major Mustard and the students explore and experiment with ways of presenting and telling their stories. The day culminates with a grand "Storytell".

Teacher / Leader / Carer Workshops

A Leaders’ workshop will introduce participants into the methods of making "Junk" or "recycled" puppets. Ways will be shown of helping and encouraging children / adults to make this sort of puppet. The ‘making’ is followed by a session explaining how the puppets can be brought to life with action, movements and voices. The workshop finishes with ideas on putting short performances together - creating the story and working out the co-operative skills needed for a group to perform in a limited space - the choreography of the show. The workshop can run between 1 ½ hours and 3 hours depending on requirements and time availability.