It is now only one week until the opening...scary stuff. At the moment it will almost come as a relief to put the puppet on and have the launch performance under my belt. Admin preparations are still in motion, as I'm tying up the last loose ends.

Rehearsal for the launch is  moving along and I'm starting to work upon the feedback I had for my work in progress. I have introduced pirates and a colony of ants to the opening with the hat which should be surreal...but also provide an interesting content about the role of objects.

So at this point in time I am looking forward to a weeks time but am also a little terrified about what this might hold. 

Been a while since I posted anything here, so this is an update of how the project has progressed. I have had conformation for some really exciting filming locations for the puppet to visit around Canterbury which is fantastic and a big relief.  But enough admin! ...the sun light has poked its way through the mountain of paperwork and emails... onto more interesting areas.

Construction for the puppet has been finished and experimentation with movement has begun. Along side this, in rehearsal I have been leaving the puppet on the side and experimenting physically with new research. Going back to initial spark that inspired the project has trigged exciting material that explores the very core of project. 

Today I have had my work in progress performance, in which I got some very positive feedback and some interesting comments to act upon. So feeling positive going into this weekend. The time is drawing near...and harsh, harsh realities are starting to take a grip...

In the workshop this week I put all of the main body components together and had it laid out on the table. As I picked it up to turn it over it suddenly struck me about how heavy and big this puppet is going to be. The mass of puppet was a bit of shock but incredibly exciting. It has started to stop being merely materials but starting to have form, a character; as I sat the legs down at the end of the day they fell into a "relaxed" kind of pose.  By the Wednesday next week I will meet the full puppet for the first time and start rehearsing with it and this is going to be a great step towards the project picking up pace. I already feel a strong connection with the puppet, it has already had the beginning of life forming within it. It feels like next week the puppet will be born and it will start to question my role in it's existence, which will lead to new and interesting territories for the project. 

The filming as also got underway this week, which was an "interesting" experience. Although a little awkward, as it was my first time in front of a camera as myself. Julian (directing the majority of the filming) and I got some good shots of the workshop and the puppet in the stage it is now. It was great to finally get the filming officially underway, as I was getting a little bogged down in all the admin stuff in that area.

Research has also been happening, which has mainly involved looking at the Uncanny; Freud's paper and other more modern and relevant books have provided interesting incites informing my approach the manipulating the puppet and material I'm devising for the performances. 

Looking forward to next week and getting into the real meaty side of the project...

The project has started take shape and grow, which is handy as I'm 2 weeks into it. I've had some good production meetings and confirmed performance dates (the LIFE-SIZE ME page will be updated soon!!!). Also some interesting collaborations with Anthropology students have started to emerge and I hope their input will be invaluable. Like-wise interest from film students to help out with the documentary about the project has been great and that is starting to take shape. 

Getting a little bogged down in paper work due to permission from the council for filming and having to send a timetable to the police! However the building of the puppet is still going strong, lower parts of the body are pretty much there and I have even started varnishing, and they look lovely.

Along-side all of this the devising process has begun and I have started to talk about a hat...

That psychological risk assessment may be due. 

Start of the construction period! In the process of designing the puppets limbs. Made out of ply-wood and bamboo they will have a skeletal feel and should allow the puppet to hold a presence of its own, but are going to have to have some heavy varnishing to with stand a shower. Sam Westbury and Lucy Western also helped with a head cast which turned out very well and is kind of creepy....looking into my own life-less face...this could be a sign of things to come.