Deep in Puppet Therapy

Day 1

You will create your own therapeutic puppet in our workshop in the center of Prague

Day 2

The aims of the day 1 are to:

* create our own puppet with guidance

* understand how we made that choice

* Learn the basic craft skills needed to make our puppet

* explore its name and  identity

* feel confident in the process of creating

Learning outcomes:

1. Creation of a crafted puppet to use in education and therapy

2. Understanding of the transferable skills for puppet creation

3. Confidence  regarding the role and function of the puppets

Day 3

The aims of the day 2 are to:

* complete a puppet we can own and be proud of

* Name and contextualize our puppet

* explore the physical life of the puppet

* Develop the emotional life of the puppet

* to create simple interactions with another puppet

* enable children to create their personal puppet

* practice minimal intervention to enhance confidence

* be truthful in our feedback to the children

* encourage children to take some risks in their creativity

Learning Outcomes:

1. Feel skilled in creating a puppet and to support a child in making a puppet

2. Greater confidence in understanding the application of puppets to explore feelings

3. Understand the limits for exploration, enabling ‘de-rolling’ and closure

 

AM

Any last-minute finishing of puppets – painting, clothes, etc.

Naming the puppet: decide who this puppet is and whether it represents someone important in your life or maybe a part of yourself, past, present, or future.

Give your puppet a name.

Explore how your puppet can move – large movements as well as small.  What gestures can it make?  Do those gestures indicate feelings?

What feelings is it important for your puppet to express?

Work with a partner to explore a range of emotions, and your puppets share the main emotions of sadness, anger, joy, disgust, fear, and surprise.

PM

Working with children to create a simple puppet; the child leads and the adult supports, maybe if something is very fiddly.  For example, if something needs screwing, then help to start it but encourage the child to finish.  This must be a failsafe activity.

Some children will need short breaks for physical activity if they are short in concentration.

Day 4

The aims of the day 3

Having explored the physical and emotional aspects of our personal puppet, the aims now are to:

* take some risks in our exploration

* find ways to go beyond the personal

* discover the world of improvisation – verbal and non-verbal

* acknowledge the ease of identifying with the puppet

* begin excursions into storytelling

* observe any of the above with the children

Learning Outcomes:

 Participants will have achieved the following:

1. Greater confidence at risk-taking

2. Discovery of new worlds through improvisation

3. The beginnings of Puppetry and Therapeutic Storytelling

4. The children will have gained confidence in communication.

5. Also to use a structure to unfold a simple story

The third day of the Summer School will bring additional skills for the adults in the group, and greater awareness of their own creativity for the children.

AM

A short talk followed by practical exploration of our own puppet (and ourselves).  We shall push the limits in terms of risk taking through improvisation.

This will lead into storytelling both personal and fairy tales.

PM

Encouraging feed-back from the previous day, and emergent identity of the children’s puppets.  First steps into improvisation and storytelling.

Day 5

Participants will now have had experience with their own puppet, movement, sound and improvisation.  Thy will have also explored basic storytelling through their puppet, as individuals, in pairs and in small groups.  They will have kept a daily journal and recorded their feelings and reflections on their puppet journey.

Aims:

* Create scenarios for confidence building

* Enable original stories to develop

* Improve puppeteer skills

* Inspire children to move forward

* Support children to develop their own ideas

* Encourage children to create their own  performance

Learning Outcomes:

1. Basic skills for applying therapeutic use of puppets

2. Understanding of the therapeutic impact of puppetry

3. Working schemas for application with children

AM

Feedback and reflections from participants on their own therapeutic journey through their puppet.  Planning for final workshop for children without imposing ideas or being over directive.

More storytelling skills with puppet and practice of manipulation.  Practice with a more complex puppet if ready.  Remembering it is the learning they have experienced through their puppet that provides the understanding and rationale for puppet therapy.

PM

Remind children it is their final workshop and we are going to share ideas together.  They will choose a story they would like to enact with their puppets and practice scenes.  Adults there in supportive capacity – and if any repairs are needed!

Sharing of performance (parents/carers/teachers to come too.   Finish and take puppet home.

Day 6

AIMS:

 * Consolidation of learning across the 3 Courses

* Understanding of the uniqueness of Puppets in Therapy

* Grasping the complexity of Puppets in Therapy

* Adapting the application to other age groups including elderly people

* Being able to share the discourse of why Puppets are important

* Appreciating the borders and limits of Puppet Therapy.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Participants will have a learning model of Level 1 of Puppet Therapy

2. They will have integrated the history, theory and practice of Puppet Therapy

3. Participants will have fulfilled the basic knowledge assessment to achieve their Certificate

AM

The group will re-look at their journey through the 3 Courses and identify any gaps in understanding or knowledge base.  There will be practical work on a performance piece and a consideration  of ‘puppet as narrator’ and ‘puppet as performer.

Fill in assessment questionnaire.

PM

Rehearsal time for final performance (staff on hand for any support needed); groups can give feedback and suggestions to each other.

Final performance and we need to have said what the criteria are.

We can give a general indication of standards but cannot give final result until questionnaires are marked.

6 days

Max. 15 participants

Building your puppet

Learning to operate a puppet

Your questions being answered

Supervision

Certificate of basic PT training