(This post is still showing up under Amber’s authorship while we work out Zach’s author account, but he is on holiday in Canada, and we wanted to make sure this post went up for World Puppetry Day.)
Being part of Civil Rites/Civil Rights has expanded my appreciation for puppetry and for public events. Both of these, together and separately, have several things in common. They are creative and they are shared experiences. A puppet show needs an audience and a public event involves a group of people coming together. As a person with autism, it is often a challenge to find ways to express my creativity with others, so I’ve appreciated my experience with Civil Rites/Civil Rights because the group has given me the opportunity to do that. Ed: Civil Rites/Civil Rights was the name of the project given to all efforts to extend flexibility for challenging sensory or social experiences when participating in festal or processional arts, as Folkfuturism received funding for this endeavor in 2019 and 2020.
Before Covid, we were able to participate in public events and street fairs through puppetry. For me, the most meaningful event was teaching children how to make shadow puppets at a street fair. Before the event, I had to learn how to make shadow puppets, which I did by learning from and interacting with other people in the group. It was enjoyable to get out of my comfort zone and my own house in order to meet with other people on a regular basis. I had intended to produce a full-length shadow puppet show based on a story I had written, and had started creating the puppets based on my original character drawings. It was supposed to be performed in May 2020, but unfortunately Covid got in the way.
During Covid, even though we couldn’t meet in person, CivilRites/CivilRights, led by Amber Stopper Dorko, continued to flourish. Because of contacts that Amber has all over the world, I personally had the opportunity to participate in an online puppet animation with artist JooYoung Choi, and an online film produced by We Are Here produced by Handmade Parade in Hebden Bridge, England.
I also had the opportunity to have a Zoom tutorial to learn foam puppet-making techniques from world renowned puppeteer Kevin Augustine, which was arranged by Amber. I learned how to cut away a cube foam block in order to reveal the sculptural shape hidden inside. In this case it was a nose! It was very satisfying to meet a professional puppet builder in a one-on-one session. I felt that I learned a great deal and hope to continue learning this technique.
These experiences would not have been possible without my participation with Civil Rites/Civil Rights.
With the opening up of our communities, I am looking forward to expand the mission of the group–to create opportunities for people with autism to participate in puppetry and public events in ways that are comfortable for them. This includes behind-the- scenes projects, creative projects, and community engagement in ways that are comfortable for each individual. I hope you’ll join us as a participant, ally, or audience member.
#worldpuppetryday
