Zenwing Puppets Theatre Company

Karrie Marshall
Chris King
Ross-shire based company
Telephone - 01349 880942
E-mail - zenwingpuppets@ecosse.net

www.zenwingpuppets.com

Zenwing puppets is a small Touring Theatre Company with an interest in emotional well-being. We create family shows, participative community events, personal development programmes, and workshops in schools.

Download Zenwing's September 2007 news here

Aim 
Zenwing promotes creativity and life-long learning through puppets and mask-work.  We believe that with heart-wisdom and puppet-fun, serious issues can be explored. The Zenwing programmes have participative elements and aim to be meaningful for people of all ages.

What are we?
A variety of shadows, marionettes, and rod puppets, large and small. We have combined careers in acting, management, lecturing, and puppetry. We are members of The Highlands and Islands Theatre Network (HITN); Arts & Business Creative Development Forum; Puppet Animation Festival; Puppeteers UK; Artsplay Highland; Equity; British UNIMA and Milton Community Woodland Trust.

Zenwing Puppet Projects

Touring family show ‘Vasalisa’s Power’ (Family)

Vasalisa’s Power is based on Clarissa Pinkola Este’s interpretation of an old Russian fairy-tale about intuition and power. This show with workshops toured in 2006 to Alness, Skye, Eriskay, South Uist, Benbecula, Lewis, Hoy, Wick, Ardross, Arisaig, Milton, Strathpeffer, and The Belladrum Festival, thanks to funding from Hi-Arts producer’s fund, HIE touring fund, An Lantair and the PANs venues and audiences.

Vasalisa’s Power is touring again with The Puppet Animation Festival 2007. Dates:

Sun 25th March Stracathro Hall, Angus 3pm
Mon 26th March Gracemount Primary school, Edinburgh 1:30pm 
Tuesday 27th March Beattock Village Hall, Dumfries & Galloway 7pm 
Mon 2nd April Burdiehouse community centre Edinburgh 2p.m. 
Tues 3rd April WHALE centre, Edinburgh 2p.m. 
Sun 8th April Festival Theatre, Pitlochry 11 a.m. 
Sat 21st April Cromarty Hall, South Ronaldsay, Orkney

What is the story about?
Vasalisa’s dying mother gives her daughter the gift of intuition in the form of a doll. But will this be enough to deal with life’s challenges, such as the cruel stepmother. And will Vasalisa be able to complete the tasks set by the powerful witch Baba Yaga? How will Vasalisa use her power?

‘We loved it! This was excellent entertainment for the whole family. Even my two year old was mesmerised throughout it all!’ (Belladrum)

‘Thank you for bringing this story alive with so much colour and beauty to Uist’ (Lochboisdale)

Download the tour schedule here

Three shows in one performance with a pre-show workshop:

Dragon Tales consists of:

• The Dragon of Dornoch (1888 folk-lore reference by Miss Demspter)
• The Kelpie of Loch Garve
• Smok Wawelski (The Polish dragon of Krakow or Wawel Hill)

Reading about some of the difficulties felt by different cultures living in the same area, we were interested in looking at differences and similarities of societies through folk-lore. This tour uses some Polish and Gaelic language, music and imagery, along with specially made puppets to tell the stories.

The fierce dragon of Dornoch terrorised the people and burned down the trees with his fiery breath. St Gilbert was required to resolve the problem. The Dragon of Krakow, also terrified a community in Poland, eating all the sheep and cattle. A shoemaker devised a cunning plan to deal with this dragon.

The Kelpie, (a shape-changing creature that lures people to be drowned and eaten), is said to have befriended a builder from Garve to construct a chimney under the water to please the Kelpie’s wife. It is said the loch never freezes over the place where the chimney was built.

These three stories come with a dragon-making and Polish paper-cutting workshop, for anyone competent with using scissors. The workshop lasts for 1 and ½ hours. The show is another 1 and ½ hours with an interval of 15 minutes.

2007 tour dates are as follows (more to follow when confirmed):

June 14th Scoraig Community; Dragon workshop

June 15th Scoraig Community; Dragon Tales show (01854 633373)

June 17th Milton Woods, Kildary Workshop and show (01862 842222)

July 21st Aros Centre, Portree, Skye 12 noon Workshop 2:30pm Dragon Tales Show (01478 613649)

July 22nd Highland Games, Inverness

July 27th Children’s Festival, (City Partnership) 11a.m. -12:30pm Workshop at Spectrum Centre

July 28th Children’s Festival, (City partnership) at 12 noon Dragon Tales Show, Inverness Town Centre

July 31st Dornoch (01408 635211)

August 10th and 11th Belladrum Festival

August 7th and 14th Spectrum Centre (To be confirmed)

September 22nd Carrbridge Community Arts Dragon Workshop and Show

September 29th Shetland Isles (To be confirmed)

Further July dates to be confirmed for Western Isles

Other Work:

This personal development, poetry, song and creative programme took place in February 2007. Zenwing transformed the log buidling into a railway setting with station stops that included Genie Junction, The Labyrinth Stop and Tooting Treasure cave. The adult participants were given a guidebook to assist them in visiting a variety of personal development activity spaces. Each person kept a record of their personal insights and feelings. Food, poetry, song and discussions followed.

A collaborative pilot project took place with 12 adults over 5 sessions during October and November 2006. Supported by The Highland Health Board, Artsplay Highland and The Health and Happiness Project, the participants from Ross-shire, Inverness, and Nairn, joined Zenwing Puppets for puppet and mask work at the Highland Hospice training suite. The programme was designed to enhance emotional well being by increasing self-esteem and self-awareness through creativity. The sessions included power-masks, group story-making, and the use of puppets to tell some very moving tales about experiences of bullying and depression. The group created a unique and funny story called ‘Callum and the Squaat’, and gave a beautiful performance depicting sea life. An exhibition called ‘Inside~Outside’ was held on November 27th to celebrate the work.

Participants expressed surprise and pleasure at what they could do as individuals and as a group. There were valuable lessons along the way, which have been incorporated into Zenwing’s recommendations for future projects. The participants, support staff and facilitators have expressed a strong desire to continue this valuable process of personal development through stories, mask and puppet.

Zenwing deliver creative staff development and organisational learning programmes using puppets and masks. This has been done in stages since 2004 for issues such as Policies and Procedures and Equality. Karrie has over 20 years professional experience in staff development design and delivery of accredited management courses for higher education programmes. All programmes are fully researched and the puppets bring the subjects to life in amusing and informative ways.

'The most interactive, fun and participative training I have been in for fourteen years' Training Manager, Aberdeen City Council

'I can't think of a better way to inspire interest and fresh meaning on policies and procedures. It has helped me convey enthusiasm to my team.' Manager, Highland Council

Bookings are now being taken for ‘Equality and Diversity’; ‘Effective Policies and Procedures’ and ‘Adult Protection Issues Workshop’ and ‘Positive responses to difficult situations’ for interested organisations and businesses.

Zenwing Projects include:

• Healing stories workshops (adults)
• Puppets in care settings (older people)
• Comedy gig puppet sketches for adults
• Bonar Bridge Primary School
• Schools workshops
• Creative workshops for youth workers and teachers
  

More for 2007 and beyond:

This is a series of facilitated sessions about emerging young selves and empowerment using masks and puppets, culminating in either a live performance or a DVD of works in progress with young people. If you are an interested youth group, or young person between 11 and 25, we would love to hear from you.

Also known as ‘Historical Highland Highlights’ is proposed for 2009, using local tales, comedy and masks in collaboration with other artists. (Family)

This is the title of workshops and shows using shadow-puppets and forest-ground puppets for community woodland and forest groups. (Children/ family)

A variety of interesting ways to explore aspects of self, increase awareness and enjoy sharing or listening to experiences that combine creativity and personal development. See The Heart of Winter Festival above (Adults)

Previous Zenwing Projects included:

• Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Raging Haggis Highland Showcase: ‘Much Ado’ and ‘In honour of Mr MacIntosh’
• Conference workshops for child-care workers (ACT and Artsplay)
• Tad Hop’s Mini-Lectures (Staff Development)
• Schools and community work
  

Previous shows:

‘The Ross-shire State Puppet Circus Tour’ Family show
‘Dreams are made of this’ Wedding show
‘The Student and Staff Experience’ College Show

For further information please e-mail or phone us and we can send you information or discuss possibilities…

Zenwing Puppets

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