From: Wayong-AT-aol.com
Date: Tue, 06 Aug 2002 02:35:25 -0400
Subject: PUPT: Workshop in Ft. Fun


Hey, Master Puppeteer Jim Gamble ;-),

I see that you are having a workshop here.
A couple suggestions (if you haven't thought of it already!!):

For some reason, people here have a difficulty understanding 'art for arts' sake'. Or so it has been explained to me by several people.  I'm not sure why.

I have have tried to run several workshops - via through the museum here & tried to get employment at various organisations. I have tried to sell the idea of workshops from an educational as well as a therapeutic standpoint. Classes, individual sessions, etc. Either we can't get enough students or the organisations/ facilities don't have the funding.  It has been very disappointing.  Unfortunately, I don't know many people here & it seems that one has to be very gregarious & know alot of people here to garner interest.

I hope you have better luck due to your reputation.  But, I have put in effort of designing some pretty intense costumes & puppets for a couple community events & have received very little response! More people in Boulder seem to gravitate to me on the street in general than here.

I'm wondering, in general, how others try to advertise teaching workshops, performances, etc.?  How do you convince people to give puppetry a chance when the arts are not respected? What has & hasn't worked?  What do you do if you don't know many people in your area & are just not very good at shmoozing??  And that finding events to meet people are minimal to your awareness? At what point do you keep trying or give up? How do you deal with rejection over & over?

--Wayong




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