Faulty Optic Theatre of Animation
2008
Artistic Directors Charlotte Vincent (VDT) and Gavin Glover (Faulty Optic) led a two week exploratory workshop with Patrycja Kujawska (Poland), Janusz Orlik (Poland), Aurora Lubos (Poland) Toztli Godinez De Dios (Mexico) and Claire Coache (UK) with a future collaboration in mind.
At the heart of any puppet is the belief that it is a living, breathing, thinking being who is inhabiting a space and reacting spontaneously to any exterior stimulus. Making our own lifesize beings and playing with a variety of smaller creatures provided by Faulty Optic, the collaborators explored the theatrical and choreographic possibilities of performers and puppets sharing a space together.
Despite a similar design aesthetic and a shared interest in the dark side of humour, after much discussion the two companies decided not to further the research, with Charlotte and her team moving away from fiction and further exploring what is meant to be hidden, and Gavin and his puppeteers preferring to explore narrative and character within a storytelling context.
This work was funded by Arts Council England, Yorkshire.