~ WELCOME TO PUPPET WORLD ~
Photos by Shea Petersen & Collin Quinn Rice
Peace in Puppet World
Puppet World is an imaginative space where characters come to life, and teamwork transforms personal stories into hopeful landscapes.
What began as a class I teach to my younger students, has now seeped into the core of my creative practice. I make puppets out of materials from my recycling bin, swatches of fabric, and objects I stumble across on the stoops and subways of cities. They help me tell my stories - sometimes they speak, always they move. The distance between puppeteer and puppet allows for a unique collaboration, one that can tell old tales in new ways.
The healing that puppets can bring to children as they process the world around them through uninhibited play is fascinating. Sometimes a child shares work that carries trauma, violence, or fear. Most of us were taught as children make light of heavy things. But this is destructive, as it can lead to unprocessed feelings. I welcome stories that carry heaviness because life is heavy. As adults, we experience disappointment, shame, and confusion within our own narratives and society’s standards. How can we expect children to not do the same?
When I say to my students, “Peace in Puppet World” it is a reminder that the stories we share unite us in better understanding one another. Healing is possible when we channel our emotions towards the greater good – when we use our stories to celebrate our collective experience. It is what keeps us moving.
Hope.
Come say hello to me and some puppets this summer & fall at The Sugar Hole the world’s only puppet-powered ice cream walk-up window! Click the pic below to read all about us in the Chicago Tribune or watch the WBEZ video to explore more!
Photo by John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune
Video by WBEZ Chicago