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Now and then - Welcome to Cardiff - 2023

Puppetry

Tom Jones Puppet

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Puppet Designer and Maker
 

Now & Then takes the audience to a world where Cardiff’s past and present collide with fantastical puppetry, movement and music made, composed and performed by RWCMD students. A show made for grown-ups but suitable for all.

Devising an original piece collaboratively.

Promenade Puppet Show - Old Library - RWCMD (2022)

Directors: Lucy Hall and Emily LeQuesne

Welcome to Cardiff team: Anna Averof, Siyi Qian, Nico Venables, Kalyssa Speth, Amy Marsden and Robyn Smart

Photographs: Kirsten McTernan

PROCESS

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Creating a paper maquette to figure out how the mechanism and explore how weight will affect the movement.

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Hollow pipe for legs, elastic cord for hip movement and tying to board. 

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Hollow pipe for legs, elastic cord for hip movement and tying to board. Springs in the arms and head for "bobble type movement". Solid metal rod and wire arm to attach t0. Snipping foam to define shape.

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Using reference images to aid sculpting with Earthenware clay. Casting the shape with a heat gun on Worbla. Slicing the Worbla for ear to ear, into two pieces and digging out clay residue.

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Painting skin tone with acrylic paint, chest piece and hands and mircophone made from Sculpy clay. 

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Pattern cutting tiny clothes, making a belt and chain necklace. adding paper cones to the bottom of flares to keep them flared. adding finger lights to the front of the vinyl.

Peacock Puppet

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painting portraits on silk

Puppeet design and maker - Nico Venables
Feather design - Siyi Qian
fabric painters - Robyn Smart, Nico Venables, Amy Marsden

PROCESS

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Using a gold gel to define edges of different colours and prevent paint from merging and bleeding.

Using fabric paint, saturated in water to stain different sections

 

Building up layers of shading with lighter to darker shades of black watery fabric paint. Blending as it dries but is still wet. Creating portraits of the Bute family.

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