Iqonga
Handspring Puppet Company in association with UNIMA SA
Venue
Little Theatre, Hiddingh campus and site-specific venues
Dates
Sat 10 September 20:00
Duration
2,5 hrs
Appropriate for
14+
Iqonga, initiated by UNIMA SA and now a project of the Handspring Puppet Company, provides a platform for experimentation in short pieces by diverse emerging and established artists wishing to test out new ideas in the field of puppetry.
Iqonga FAQ
What is Iqonga?
Iqonga is an annual theatre event consisting of 8 new short-form puppetry plays by established and emerging theatre practitioners / companies.
Who produces Iqonga?
As of 2011, Iqonga is produced and curated by the Handspring Puppet Company in association with UNIMA SA.
What is the purpose of Iqonga?
The purpose of the project is to promote puppetry amongst artists and the public in Cape Town. It does this by providing established and emerging artists who have an interest in puppetry with the skills and resources to make the work, and by giving audiences the opportunity to experience 8 short plays in various puppetry styles / mediums within one show.
Iqonga also helps to promote the work of the Handspring Puppet Company and is a useful platform for establishing and building relationships with various local theatre practitioners and companies.
What does “Iqonga” mean?
Iqonga is a Xhosa word meaning “platform” or “stage.”
When and where does Iqonga take place?
The Iqonga event takes place on Saturday 10 September, 8pm, at the Little Theatre on UCT’s Hiddingh / Michaelis Campus as part of UNIMA SA’s Out The Box Festival of Puppetry and Visual Performance 2011.
How are the participants selected?
Iqonga 2011 is curated by Jason Potgieter of the Handspring Puppet Company.
Potential participants are invited to submit an online proposal for a new short-form work.
The following criteria are applicable:
• At least one of the pieces selected must be the work of an established, well known puppetry company. The Handspring Puppet Company will be presenting a new work for Iqonga 2011.
• Two of the selected works must be site-specific pieces set within 3 – 5 minutes walking distance from the main theatre venue.
• One of the plays must feature the work of a company that employs disabled performers.
• One of the artists / companies selected must have a green agenda.
• For Iqonga 2011, all of the selected works will feature puppetry.
• A willingness to experiment on behalf of the participant is a key factor in the selection process. Participants must either be experimenting with puppetry as a medium or with another element that will directly inform the creating of the work. Artists are asked to identify the experimental element in the work from the beginning of the application process.
• Participants must be willing to collaborate with artists from various other disciplines. Preference is given to collaborative creative ventures.
What resources does Iqonga offer participants?
The Handspring Puppet Company and UNIMA SA have combined forces to create a collective pool of resources that are available to Iqonga participants. These resources include, amongst other things:
• A budget for puppet building expenses.
• Puppet design and building mentorship in the form of the Barefoot Mechanics.
• Puppetry manipulation training and mentorship from a Handspring puppeteer.
• A workstation and basic tools at the Handspring Puppet premises.
• Rehearsal space at the Handspring Rehearsal Studio.
• A professional theatre venue for performance.
• A stage manager, technical operators and crew.
• Advertising and publicity.
Who are the Barefoot Mechanics?
The Barefoot Mechanics are a team of highly skilled Handspring puppet designer-makers who offer their time and expertise to Iqonga participants in the design and building phase. The Barefoot Mechanics for 2011 are Adrian Kohler, Andy Mias-Jones and Janni Younge. The Barefoot Mechanics take on a mentoring role and pass on valuable skills and knowledge in a practical, hands-on way. They do not build the puppets for participants, but rather teach them how to do it for themselves.
How does collaboration and experimentation feature in other aspects of Iqonga?
Collaborative practice and experimental enquiry informs the primary work-ethic of the project at every level, not only in how each piece is devised and created but also in the production of it, in the documenting of it and the promoting of it. At the most basic level, Iqonga is a product of the collaborative relationship that exists between the Handspring Puppet Company, UNIMA SA and participating theatre practitioners.
What part does Handspring & UNIMA SA play in the creative process?
Subject matter, style and working process are determined by the artist. Handspring does not censor or enforce a particular way of thinking in the creative process. The first questions asked of the artist are: “What is your vision?” and “How do you like to work?”
Safety guidelines, however, are non-negotiable in the workshop and rehearsal studio.
How do I book tickets for the show and what do they cost?
Tickets can be booked online through Computicket. R60.00 per ticket.
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