Earlier this year, Kay Yasugi from Pupperoos took part in a Puppetry Artist in Residence at Redlands School in Cremorne, Sydney. It was part of the school’s unique enrichment program for students in Kindergarten-Grade Two, and over 10 weeks they explored Balinese Culture and Rod Puppetry. Kay very much enjoyed sharing what she had learned from her trip to Bali from her trip in January this year, and performing little puppet shows for the children using traditional Wayang Kulit shadow puppets and Wayang Golek rod puppets. Kay worked with each class for 3 sessions, which included puppet shows, videos on Balinese puppetry, operating shadow puppets using an Interactive Whiteboard, games, playing musical instruments and making simple rod puppets. Kay also worked with a small group of Grade 1 and 2 students over 10 weeks, where the students designed and constructed their own rod puppets and devised a little show which they performed for their parents and teachers on the last day of term. There were heroic princesses, a fire-breathing dragon, kimono-clad Japanese dancers, flamboyant peacocks, a comic man and dog duo and a skeleton pirate that played the guitar! It was a truly wonderful experience of creativity and play. Kay looks forward to hopefully returning to the school next year.
