Welcome to the “Trauma and Meltdown” Summer School Workshop, presented by Puppet University Prague at the enchanting Villa P651. This unique course, led by the esteemed Dr. Sue Jennings, offers an immersive journey into therapy through the art of puppetry. Scheduled from July 10-15, 2024, for a fee of 890 EUR, participants will delve into the transformative power of puppets in both therapeutic settings and daily life.
“My name is Dr. Sue Jennings, the lead research fellow at PUP, and I will guide you through our ‘Trauma Meltdown’ summer course. Our mission is to teach you the methodology of using puppets in therapy, an effective therapeutic technique.”
Dr. Sue Jennings
Senior Researcher – PUP
You will also meet other masters in the field of puppetry
Place
Where it will all happen
Villa P651 is a center for art, culture, and education, located in Prague 6, at Pevnostní 651/8.
The villa was built by Karel and Margaret Běhal in 1928. They emigrated to Canada in 1939 with their son Viktor at the onset of World War II, never to return. In 1992, the Běhals’ daughter, Edith Běhal Fejér, applied for restitution of her family home but died before the process was completed. The villa was returned by the Czech government to her husband, Andrew Fejér, in 2001. In 2011, the Běhals’ granddaughter, Ilona Fejér Wiss, decided to use the villa as a cultural and educational center to honor the memory of her grandparents and parents. Today it is a unique setting for a variety of events, including art exhibitions, musical and dance performances, film screenings, courses, seminars, conferences, and private gatherings. It is also the home of one of Puppet University’s workshops where you will make your own therapeutic puppet.
Accommodation
Options for participants traveling to Prague
The attic apartment of Villa P651 is available at a discounted rate.
Petr Puppeteer’s flat is offered for rent to students at a daily rate of 10 EUR per student.
Tailored accommodation to your needs is also available on Airbnb or Booking.com
Syllabus
What you will experience during the course
Day 1
The aims of the day 1 are to:
* create your puppet with guidance
* understand how we made that choice
* Learn the basic craft skills needed to make our puppet
* explore its name and identity
* feel confident in the process of creating
Learning outcomes:
1. Creation of a crafted puppet to use in education and therapy
2. Understanding of the transferable skills for puppet creation
3. Confidence regarding the role and function of the puppet
Day 2
The aims of the day 2 are to:
* complete a puppet we can own and be proud of
* Name and contextualize our puppet
* explore the physical life of the puppet
* Develop the emotional life of the puppet
* to create simple interactions with another puppet
* enable children to create their personal puppet
* practice minimal intervention to enhance confidence
* be truthful in our feedback to the children
* encourage children to take some risks in their creativity
Learning Outcomes:
1. Feel skilled to create a puppet and to support a child making a puppet
2. Greater confidence in understanding the application of puppets to explore feelings
3. Understand the limits for exploration, enabling ‘de-roling’ and closure
AM
Any last-minute finishing of puppet – painting, clothes etc.
Naming the puppet: decide who this puppet is and whether it represents someone important in your life or maybe a part of yourself, past, present or future?
Give your puppet a name.
Explore how your puppet can move – large movements as well as small. What gestures can it make? Do those gestures indicate feelings?
What feelings is it important for your puppet to express?
Work with a partner to explore a range of emotions, and your puppets sharing the main emotions of: sadness, anger, joy, disgust, fear, surprise.
PM
Working with children to create a simple puppet; the child leads and the adult supports, maybe if something is very fiddly. For example, if something needs screwing, then help to start it but encourage the child to finish. This must be a failsafe activity.
Some children will need short breaks for physical activity if they are short in concentration.
Day 3
The aims of the day 3
Having explored the physical and emotional aspects of our personal puppet, the aims now are to:
* take some risks in our exploration
* find ways to go beyond the personal
* discover the world of improvisation – verbal and non-verbal
* acknowledge the ease of identifying with the puppet
* begin excursions into storytelling
* observe any of the above with the children
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will have achieved the following:
1. Greater confidence at risk-taking
2. Discovery of new worlds through improvisation
3. The beginnings of Puppetry and Therapeutic Storytelling
4. The children will have gained confidence in communication.
5. Also to use a structure to unfold a simple story
The third day of the Summer School will bring additional skills for the adults in the group, and greater awareness of their own creativity for the children.
AM
A short talk followed by practical exploration of our own puppet (and ourselves). We shall push the limits in terms of risk taking through improvisation.
This will lead into storytelling both personal and fairy tales.
PM
Encouraging feed-back from the previous day, and emergent identity of the children’s puppets. First steps into improvisation and storytelling.
Day 4
Participants will now have had experience with their own puppet, movement, sound and improvisation. Thy will have also explored basic storytelling through their puppet, as individuals, in pairs and in small groups. They will have kept a daily journal and recorded their feelings and reflections on their puppet journey.
Aims:
* Create scenarios for confidence building
* Enable original stories to develop
* Improve puppeteer skills
* Inspire children to move forward
* Support children to develop their own ideas
* Encourage children to create their own performance
Learning Outcomes:
1. Basic skills for applying therapeutic use of puppets
2. Understanding of the therapeutic impact of puppetry
3. Working schemas for application with children
AM
Feedback and reflections from participants on their own therapeutic journey through their puppet. Planning for final workshop for children without imposing ideas or being over directive.
More storytelling skills with puppet and practice of manipulation. Practice with a more complex puppet if ready. Remembering it is the learning they have experienced through their puppet that provides the understanding and rationale for puppet therapy.
PM
Remind children it is their final workshop and we are going to share ideas together. They will choose a story they would like to enact with their puppets and practice scenes. Adults there in supportive capacity – and if any repairs are needed!
Sharing of performance (parents/carers/teachers to come too. Finish and take puppet home.
Day 5
AIMS:
* Consolidation of learning across the 3 Courses
* Understanding of the uniqueness of Puppets in Therapy
* Grasping the complexity of Puppets in Therapy
* Adapting the application to other age groups including elderly people
* Being able to share the discourse of why Puppets are important
* Appreciating the borders and limits of Puppet Therapy.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Participants will have a learning model of Level 1 of Puppet Therapy
2. They will have integrated the history, theory and practice of Puppet Therapy
3. Participants will have fulfilled the basic knowledge assessment to achieve their Certificate
AM
The group will re-look at their journey through the 3 Courses and identify any gaps in understanding or knowledge base. There will be practical work on a performance piece and a consideration of ‘puppet as narrator’ and ‘puppet as performer.
Fill in assessment questionnaire.
PM
Rehearsal time for final performance (staff on hand for any support needed); groups can give feedback and suggestions to each other.
Final performance and we need to have said what the criteria are.
We can give a general indication of standards but cannot give final result until questionnaires are marked.
Overview
Information you need to know
The course is scheduled to take place from July 10 to 15, 2024
The Price is 890 EUR
and it covers the course fee, material for building a puppet, small refreshments, and lunch. Please note that accommodation and transportation costs are not included.”
You will gain access to online Puppet Therapy Courses
It is expected that you will complete these online courses to prepare for the summer session
At the end of the course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion
The course will have a maximum of 13 participants
For enrollment or further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
If you have any questions or wish to enroll, fill out this form, and we will respond promptly.
Yours
Lucie Robinson
Coordination