Last week Wednesday(22^nd April) was the first contact day as part of the Puppet Portal Project

I had totally changed my original proposals and thoughts about how to approach the project. On the one hand because my proposals had been written with an ongoing working process with long-term patients in mind- whereas I later found out that I would most likely have different children in school every week and only some repeat patients. But as well the meeting with the other artists, the hospital teachers, the IT advisors from Trinity, mentors/ project advisors from kids own and the evaluators prior to the project start had changed my perspective on how too organize the day and brought to attention different possibilities as well as limitations

Initiated by one of the artists we met the Weekend before for a “play-day” which was brilliant- sharing ideas and expertise, making puppets and little films. This was not only fun but as well very inspiring. Through bouncing ideas of each other and hearing about Helene´ s experiences, who had started the projects two weeks earlier than the rest of us, I further moulded my idea, realizing I would love to provide an ongoing structure of both, puppetry techniques and theme, which would be the backdrop for the weekly workshops. Reading Helene´ s blog was helpful as well: I liked the term of “providing an imaginative framework” for the following activity.

I decided on using paper puppets and a simple Toy theatre structure as the “technical” framework, the idea of magical portals which lead you into a different world as the imaginative starting point. Another feature would be the use of natural materials (anyway inherent to my working practice). The teacher I mainly liaise with also liked the idea, pointing out that especially in a so technical environment like the hospital, it would be nice to create a link to nature.

When I visited the hospital a day before start  to check the technical equipment and clarify open questions with the schools principal, I was amazed to find the hospital being a maze of doors, staircases I got lost in, signposts and narrow halls, connecting my idea to the actual space.

DAY 1

There were six children in the classroom all together, and all participated in the puppetry in some ways: all made puppets, some performed, videoed, build a set, contributed ideas…

We started with making little versions of ourselves from paper and BBQ sticks. Then we turned a big cardboard box into a small version of the hospital: a rambling building full of stars and doors… Some children used this maze f stairs as the backdrop for little Solo performances (Liam performed a mad robber-chase including car crashes) while others filmed, trying out our pink, mobile-phone sized camera.

Letting them film themselves was a good way to involve especially one older boy who seamed a bit to cool to really get into the play-side of puppetry. But as the kids all together were rather quiet, and seamed to not be into storytelling (quite hesitant using their voices), it was important to find a common story.

I had introduced the idea that maybe one of the many hospital doors could be the magical entrance to another world.

What if you ´d open a door, and instead of the expected x-ray room, surgery or waiting area you ´d find yourself...in a faraway village? At the sae shore? In the middle of the jungle?

Using handmade paper houses that were sitting in the classroom from the day before (they were ancient Celtic roundhouses, but reminded us of African villages) we built the set for the faraway place we wanted the puppet to travel to. (Children had made the houses in school yesterday with their Tuesday artist-in residence Claire -very handy!).Carl came up with the idea of joining all puppets by attaching their sticks to one horizontal stick. The teacher found great African music which we used for the scene in the village, and Irish music for the Hospital scene. Felim had the idea of using one of the cardboard box flaps as the door to the other world. Oisin had made an alien which looked quite scary, a reason for all the children to run back home- so the story of our film was born! The moment of all the children walking through the magical door was celebrated by Yvana, sprinkling glitter onto the puppets.

Seeing the finished film on the computer was great, all children involved will receive a copy of the edited film.

We as well went on a live link through Ait Eile at 20 to 12, which was great- We saw the children in another hospital and their puppets, who introduced themselves, and we showed them our puppets.  Children seamed to really enjoy this.

The filling in of evaluation forms by children, teachers and possibly parents and staff; an integral part of the project, had raised quite a few concerns before the start of the project, especially amongst the teachers who felt that might be too invasive, especially asking the parents who, with a sick child in hospital and all the concerns attached to this, are any way stretched to their limits.But when we actually put this in practice it worked really well and I feel teachers and children were happy to fill out forms.

I realized that, beyond the purpose of an overall evaluation of the whole project, reading the evaluation forms was very helpful for me- it put aspects to attention which I might not have noticed/ remembered otherwise. To prepare a way of collecting feedback is definitely sth I will consider & think about for other projects!

A student teacher (who , alongside the school assistant & the teacher, had been involved & helping all morning) stated that maybe storyboarding or planning the film beforehand would be a good way to bring in more structure- a helpful comment as I felt there was a bid of insecurity and boredom when some kids who had finished their puppets in no time had to wait for the others, not knowing what ´d happen next.

I had lovely comments by a boy who had been very quiet and quite low-energized (as many of the kids due to their condition of health), but who had been smiling about little discoveries throughout the workshop :

Have you learned any new skills?-“Yes, I learned how to work with people I didn´t know before”  

I thought the puppetry was… “…quite fun, making little puppets out of paper and sticks. Who would know small things can make you so happy”