During February 2011, puppeteer Kay Yasugi volunteered with Globalteer (a UK-based charity) in Siem Reap. She was part of the Giant Puppet Project, a local children’s community arts project (now in it’s 5th year!). They worked with several children from various schools and non-government organisations to make giant parade puppets. The project was led by Stuart Cochlin, with artistic director Jig Cochrane from Jigantics. In the space of 3 weeks, the volunteers managed to build a range of puppets relating to Cambodian wildlife and culture, including a rabbit, a turtle, an ibis bird, a spider, a kouprey (wild Cambodian ox), a storm giant and ocean goddess (from a Cambodian folk story), a road safety car and a 5- headed “Naga” serpent! They also made lots of paper raindrops, clouds, flowers, leaves, road signs, fish and bunny hats. The final night parade was a real highlight—all the puppets were lit up and there were about 1000 very excited children in the parade! Not only was the project great fun, but it also provided a creative platform for many underprivileged children in Siem Reap and helped to spread awareness of important social, cultural and environmental issues. With great thanks to the dedicated project leaders, volunteers and our wonderful supporters worldwide, this project was a roaring success. For more information about the project, please visit the Giant Puppet Project Facebook page. Please also check out some photos taken during the project, as well as some of Kay’s sketches.
