Tuesday 9 February 2016

Invitation to book/DVD launch and exhibition


If you can't make it to the launch, but would like to purchase a book/DVD 
(proceeds all go towards further our groups's art and puppet projects) 
please see Corina's Bookshop €10 plus €1 postage

The filming day!

This post was initially published on  31-January-2016  on Corina Duyns Blog, who was the project facilitator of the "Life outside the Box" project.

filming of 'Life Outside the Box' puppet project

Here some of the photos taken during the Life Outside the Box filming day 
at Dungarvan Shopping Centre last Monday.

The short film is almost ready!
The book about the project is almost ready!

A date for your diary...

Exhibition of puppets and box, and launch of book and DVD is on
Thursday 25th February 2016
Dungarvan Library, Co. Waterford
6-8 pm

Books, which includes DVD will be for sale on the night.
Proceeds will help us fund future art projects.












Dungarvan Observer Wednesday 27 January

Previous post about this project here and here


Project supported by

The story of the box

This post was initially published on  15-January-2016  on Corina Duyns Blog, who was the project facilitator of the "Life outside the Box" project.

Life Outside the Box (part two of puppet project)



During one of the days working on the puppets we had a 'brainstorming' session to come up with a proper title for the project- the book- and the film. The puppet project was the working title as the saying goes. Well here are a few of the suggestions that did not make it, some for obvious reasons!

  • The Freedom Project
  • The Anatomy Project
  • Puppets on an Adventure
  • What's in the Box
  • I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!
  • Puppets on Tour
The last one... well who knows, the puppets might go on tour... if our film will be given an Oscar nomination next year... we are hopeful!

So, I am happy to announce that The Puppet Project has been given it's proper new title: "Life Outside the Box".

making the BOX

The Box.
Society's Box.
The Disability Box.


Yes, we are all living with disability/illness, but by no means are we stuck in this box!

We are stepping out of it!




On Monday we will be practicing with our (nine) puppets to get them to step out of the box. Well, I can assure you, it won't be graceful! We are certainly not brilliant puppeteers in this short space of time, but the skills we do have, is having FUN! We are extremely good at that!
And we have pride.

The following Monday, the 25th January, Alan from Bootleg Studios will be filming us (the puppets) stepping out the box, at theDungarvan Shopping Centre (Co. Waterford). We will be there from about 11, filming from about 11.30PLEASE COME ALONG! 

We want to make our point with this (to be a very short) video, by stepping out of our box, that we too are part of society. 

You are likely to meet the 'reporter', a 'musician' busking, a 'granny' dancing,  a baker, a biker, a clerk, a young boy and his dog, and a beautiful girl on a butterfly.
All stepping into Freedom.



Reporter made by Corina



Clerk made by Paul 

Butterfly girl made by Amy


Another date for your diary:
The book and the film will be launched with an exhibition (all going according to plan) at Dungarvan Library on Thursday 25 February between 6 and 8 pm. More about this closer to the date.

If you like to keep up to date with this project or other things I write about, please sign up with email on the top right of this blog, or send me a message.

Best wishes and see you on 25th January and the 25th Febraury!


Corina

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The background to making the puppets

This post was initially published on  8-January-2016  on Corina Duyns Blog, who was the project facilitator of the "Life outside the Box" project. 

The IWA and the start of the Puppet Project

One of the puppets- created by Ann
I have been a member of the Wheelchair Association (IWA) for maybe fifteen years. During this time I have written for their Spokeout Magazine, been the lucky recipient of a writing and an art award, but it took me till 2012/13 to become an active member. 
It started with being invited to join the outreach program, which I wrote about here in their Spokeout magazine. Outreach gave me the opportunity to have a day out of my choice supported by IWA staff. One of the things I found challenging was that the wheelchair bus has HUGE lettering on it, proclaiming that whomever is on the bus has a disability. A little more discretion would be lovely... But I got used to it. You get used to anything.

In 2014 I was asked to come along on a holiday to Killarney. To be perfectly honest, it took a lot of persuasion to get me to agree. I did agree. Last minute. When somebody canceled. I found it a rather big step to go. I didn't know any of the members. Did my life really come to a point that I needed a supported holiday? After initial years of being mostly housebound, I had gained great independence over the years, but that had slipped away from me again.  After taking many deep breaths on the bus, I decided to take it all in my stride. And... I had a wonderful time! Met some great new people. We had a great laugh. New friendships were made. 

Aerial (detail) © Corina Duyn 2014
Summer 2014 I was asked (again) to join the resource centre once a week. I gave it a try. I actually looked forward to get to know my new friends a bit better. I had become more dependent on support to be able to leave the house, so a once a week trip out could be very good for me.
As there is staff to support us, I took clay with me to be able to make one of my sculptures. (I was having more difficulties with rolling clay, so having the support to do this was great.)
I made Aerial there. The sculpture developed into something different than I had set out. The people I met, the materials that were around all influenced the final outcome.
A very interesting experience.

As there was quite a bit of interest in my work, I was asked in early 2015 if I could ‘by any chance’ facilitate the creation of a series of puppets and a puppet show with the other members? 
Being awarded the Create - Artist in the Community Scheme, funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, in May of 2015 made this happen. 

Our group consists of about ten members between the ages of 27 to 73. We are living with limited/partial mobility, congenital physical
disabilities, chronic illness, or acquired brain injuries. Most of these conditions are impacting on our finer motor skills. So quite a challenge to sculpt detailed faces etc... But together we found ways around them.
I am immensely proud of what fellow members have achieved.

We met every Monday to work on the puppets. Starting with a stick and a strip of cotton, we made the bases for the heads. Over the following six months the puppets took on their ultimate personalities. We now have nine puppets, a large box, a big hand, a book about the project in the making, and a short film to be shot in a few weeks time. 

The fun we had doing this project, I will never forget. We laughed so hard. And the enthusiasm and hunger for exploring the next step of the process never ceased. 
I am deeply humbled by the experience. 

We all had IWA staff to support us in whatever way necessary, including myself. It would be too great a challenge for me to bring a project of this scale into the world on my own. The IWA setting has given me the courage to go back to teaching.

I will tell you more about the fun we had; share more images of the work we created;  tell you about the film, the book, the upcoming exhibition, but for now, here are a few snapshots from the past few months.


Start of the Puppet Project 

Start of the Puppet Project 

Start of the Puppet Project 


project supported by