From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Mathieu_Ren=E9?= <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca>
To: <puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Canadian puppet schools?
Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 22:21:43 -0400


I can help with what is available in the province of Quebec.

The next answers work both for building puppets and manipulating, although 
the puppetry courses (manipulating) often only have a very basic 
construction training (if any), as a lot use puppets (re-used or made for 
the course).


There is a puppetry program within a regular college, in Chicoutimi, in the 
province of Quebec.
There are two puppetry courses offered within thew regular programs of the 
UQAM (Universite du Quebec a Montreal), one of construction, and one of 
puppeteering.
All offered in French only.


L'École nationale des apprentissages par la Marionnette (ÉNAM) (they put it 
in amateur training section) email : enam.creativite-AT-sympatico.ca (no 
webisite I could find)

This is the UQAM course outline:
http://www.cours.uqam.ca/eth3000


Otherwise, people here learn from trying on their own(events, street puppet 
theatre, self-produced shows), from working with actual acompanies, and from 
following courses offered by the puppeteer's association and private puppet 
companies. Some even pay to get international masters to come and teach 
here.

To work for a company, you sometimes need to impress them somehow, so that 
they can give you a chance. Some hold Auditions for their news shows, but 
most often they hire people they already know, or people their employees 
know.

I started manipulating giant  puppets during corporate events, and in 
floats.
These don't require perfect skills, but if you take it to heart, you can 
learn quickly what works (for you, and for the customers) and what doesn't.
My next move was to get an introductory course (given by the association) in 
traditional Hand Puppet manipulation.


Some theatre programs offer puppet introductory courses. For these, they 
often hire puppeteers from outside the school. Ask your local theatre if 
they have something like that.

ABROAD
The puppetry school in France offers some funding to attend, although there 
are conditions (age limit, and forbidden to hold a job during the training).
I know someone who had the full training there, and she came back VERY 
knowledgeable and skilled, both in building and puppeteering.
http://www.marionnette.com/

Hope this helps.




Mathieu René Créaturiste
Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
www.creaturiste.com
(514) 274-8027 

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