SHOW OF HANDS Puppet Festival
Coming October 2023
SHOW OF HANDS Puppet Festival is a raucous celebration of experimental puppetry and storytelling for all ages, abilities, and experience levels. Beginning September 2023, a six-week workshop series will introduce the scope and possibilities of puppetry through hands-on learning, exploration, and play. The festival culminates on October 13 + 14, 2023, in a boisterous and energetic giant puppet parade through Camp Washington, which leads to CampSITE Sculpture Park for the SHOW OF HANDS Puppet Slam, a showcase of original short-form puppet performances by workshop participants and musical collaborators.
Centering the artistic community at Visionaries + Voices, the SHOW OF HANDS Puppet Festival is a participatory celebration of the possibilities of experimental puppetry. Neighborhood residents of all ages and abilities will find a common language through puppetry and creative play. Collaborating participants and audiences alike share experiences of wonder, forging civic pride and community solidarity.
WORKSHOPS
Over six weeks, partner arts organizations across Cincinnati will host a series of free hands-on puppetry workshops - engaging neighborhood residents to learn new skills, investing in local teaching artists, and forming a network of artists, residents, arts organizations, and local businesses. Each workshop will take place in a different neighborhood, is free to attend, and is accessible to all abilities. Teaching artists from diverse creative backgrounds, including V+V artists, will spotlight an array of puppetry styles and have connections with the neighborhood in which their workshop takes place. For accessibility, digital workshops will also be offered, with teaching artists from around the world. Workshop participants can attend as many workshops as they like and are encouraged to make a 2-5 minute puppet show to share in the SHOW OF HANDS Puppet Slam. In-person workshops can accommodate up to 15 participants, and digital workshops have no limit. Reservations can be made online, with spots available for walk-in participants.
OPEN STUDIOS
Workshop participants are invited to Open Studio hours at Visionaries + Voices Northside studio every Thursday 5:00 - 7:30 pm in September leading up to the festival in October. Open Studios are a place to play alongside other artists, meet new friends with shared interests, collaborate, and get feedback on work-in-progress puppet shows. Local businesses will donate snacks and materials. Open Studios are free to attend and can accommodate up to 20 people.
SHOW OF HANDS Parade
The festival kick-off on October 13 (in tandem with the annual Made in Camp) will be a rip-roaring, bang-on-pots-and-pans, larger-than-life puppet parade featuring a roving puppet show by 4 ArtWorks youth apprentices and one teaching artist, the Camp Washington Heavy Metal Marching Band, and giant puppets made in festival workshops. The parade will begin at Wave Pool and lead the audience to the SHOW OF HANDS Puppet Slam at CampSITE Sculpture Park. SHOW OF HANDS Puppet Slam Workshop participants can share their newly created short-form puppet shows in the SHOW OF HANDS Puppet Slam, a high-energy, supportive, celebratory puppetry showcase at CampSITE Sculpture Park. Local musicians will accompany the performances, and each act will be cheered on by the audience with handmade instruments and noisemakers. Participants will present up to twelve 2-5 minute puppet shows.
SHOW OF HANDS Puppet Cabaret
The Puppet Cabaret will showcase teaching artists, invited professional puppeteers, and musical collaborators at the American Sign Museum. This puppet show will explore mature themes and is for adult audiences.
EXHIBITION
A curated exhibition of puppet artifacts, sets, objects, and performance videos, will be on display at the Visionaries + Voices gallery through October 2023. A library of puppetry resources will be available to visitors.