When I talk to people, even in the professional theatre scene here in Melbourne, they’re always surprised to realise that there are puppet makers and performers in Australia. The funny thing is, they couldn’t be more wrong. We’re not just here; we’re large and internationally known. Australia is home to some of the best puppetry in the world. Heard of Walking with Dinosaurs? It’s a huge animatronics dinosaur display, and the puppets were built and designed by an Australian. Do you remember the cult TV show Farscape? Produced right in Homebush, Sydney, with puppeteers and builders from our own country. Ever see Richard Bradshaw on Sesame Street with his shadow puppets? Yep, another Aussie. (I’m not even mentioning a particular Aussie show that is a hit overseas… it has to do with genitalia)

Yet you never hear about the puppetry community here. You’d never know it existed. And I’m starting to change all of that.

I became interested in the art of puppetry while studying theatre at university. After graduating, I started up a small blog, really on a whim, and posted some pictures of an experimental puppet that I was building. I wanted to share with people how I made my puppets, and learn along the way. It’s been a few years now, and I’ve found out a lot. In particular, practically everyone in America who’s into puppets is online. American puppetry companies don’t just sell their products online, they perform online, teach online, everything. It made me think: where’s all our puppet blogs? Where are our puppeteers? Why aren’t they online, talking about their work?

My best guess is they’re too busy; but most Aussie puppet companies, builders and performers don’t even have their own website. To fill this gap, I started posting informational articles on my blog about where to buy puppets, or where to find a puppet show for your kid’s birthday party… I’ve collected and collated information on a range of topics, from finding a puppetry festival to where to learn about puppetry in Australia. You’d be amazed at how many people are actually out there working professionally in this craft; and even more amazed at the number of people who want to know about it. I get emails all the time asking for help, someone’s looking for materials, someone else is wanting to buy or sell a puppet…

Over the past year or so, my blog has become more than a blog. It’s become one of the few places online for Australian puppetry. I’m now one of the few Aussie puppet makers to sell parts and patterns online (hell, I’m close to being the only one!). And my site is becoming a vast resource for the overseas community too. It seems I’ve found a niche.

In March this year, Perth was home to the world’s biggest puppetry festival: a biennial event run by the oldest theatrical organisation, UNIMA. UNIMA is the puppetry union and is made up of branches around the world. Everyone who is anyone attends the biennial festival, and delegates came from South Africa, Korea, Japan, America, the UK… and of course, from around Australia. I was lucky enough to attend the festival, with a small travel grant. I was the only attendee to do a liveblog from the event, and one of only three attendees discussing it online at all (the other two were Aussies).

You wouldn’t have known that for two weeks puppeteers from around the world swamped Perth’s halls. There was barely a sign anywhere. Until open day. In the middle of the two-week event, a large free open festival was provided for, and everyone gathered to see the Million Puppet Project, the largest gathering of puppets in the world. The hope was to break the world record. (I think we did, but missed out on the million puppet mark) Students from schools, people from around the world, all submitted their puppets; all of which went to needy children afterwards. It was hot that day, but the festival was packed, with children, parents, adults, delegates and performers pouring into the Perth Concert Hall. Free shows were presented, along with workshops, displays and other activities.

It was my first time in Perth – being a Melbourne girl – and I spent the entire two weeks taking part in masterclasses, seeing shows, meeting other puppet makers, checking out exhibitions, and enjoyed all of it. I only wish more people would realise that puppetry isn’t just for kids, and isn’t just a classroom activity. We’re a vibrant and nutty bunch. We’re not muppets; we love what we do and do it well. It’s time for Australia to start accepting puppetry as an artform on the same level of traditional theatre, or of film and TV. And it’s time for Aussie puppeteers to start getting online and opening themselves up to a wider audience: we should hear more about their shows, builds and activities. Australia has some of the best puppeteers to offer. So why does no one know we exist?

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Aussie Phrasebook

English: Good morning, how are you?
Aussie: G’day mate, how’s it hangin’?

English: Excuse me, where might I find a toilet?
Aussie: Hey mate, can you point me to the dunnies?

English: I wish to buy 6 sausages and some bread.
Aussie: Half-a-dozen snags and some buns thanks mate.

English: I appear to be slightly tipsy.
Aussie: Maaaate… I think I’m pissed.

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Another year older. A special one. One with a zero at the end.

But she didn’t feel older.

“Grow older, but never grow up.”

Parents, children, aunts, uncles, old friends, new friends.

And the boys barbequed. And the girls gossiped. And the kids played.

And then the big boys came out to play.

The children’s play equipment was no longer safe for anyone under the age of 20. Or anyone really.

See, four of the big boys have grown beyond the age where play is “acceptable”. One even has children of his own. But that doesn’t stop them.

There was sheer joy on their faces as they played. Swinging on the equipment like Tarzan through the jungle. Falling over dizzy after falling off merry go rounds and round-a-bouts. They hadn’t even drunk that much.

I often tell my daughters: “grow older, but never grow up.” I’m sure they don’t understand, but they parrot it back to me now. Growing older is mandatory, growing up is optional.

Watching the big boys play brought a smile to their faces; their wives, children and friends cheered them on. Their play didn’t just bring them joy, it brought joy to all those watching as well. Just as there is joy in watching children play without fear, there is joy in watching grown men play without fear. Without fear of injury, humiliation or embarrassment.

Perhaps we can all learn something from these big boys. Let down our guards once in a while to enjoy playing. Tomorrow these “big boys” will go back to work. Back to their corporate jobs in the city. But the smiles on their faces and on the faces of those who watched will take a while longer to fade. Hopefully long enough for those who watched to let their guard down, and experience the joy of never growing up.

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However, I find today there is a sad lack of many things, but the one that irritates me most is a lack of manners.

I’m big on manners, and it’s one of the stand out things that first attracted me to my husband. His manners are impeccable, and I mean impeccable.

People today always seem to be in a hurry and the small considerations for others seem to have fallen by the wayside in many cases.

When was the last time you {consistently} had people hold a door open for you as opposed to letting it just shut behind them?

The last time someone let you into traffic because they could as opposed to having to give way?

The last time you were on public transport and a younger person stood up to give you their seat? These days a pregnant woman is struggling to have that happen.

I try, at least once a day, to do good things. It may be as simple as putting an extra 20c on the counter for someone who is short in the price of their milk without having to break a fifty dollar note. I always buy at least one present for the Wishing Tree every year. This year just gone it was 4 because I couldn’t choose!

Even in blogging, manners don’t seem to be high the list for many. You have only to look at the comments and diatribes within comments that appear to be happening more and more. People ignore comments, they pick and choose between who they’ll respond to and who they won’t.

What’s happened to our society that we have every type of “rage” imaginable?

Road rage, car park rage, I even heard the term shopping trolley rage not long ago {mind you, I have been guilty of a “little” myself after my ankles almost broken a couple of times!} What’s next? Blog rage?

Maybe people need to slow down a bit and take time to enjoy the little things in life? The sound of a child giggling. Not laughing, but giggling? Surely there’s time for that?

Time to admire a beautiful flower, a painting, or even just a wonderful old building. Go for a picnic?

Time to enjoy our life instead of racing at 100 miles an hour to achieve everything we want to achieve in the shortest possible time.

Ambition is good, as is wanting the best for our family, but if we never have time to enjoy what we’re working for, what’s the point in having it?

If the desire to achieve, and then maintain, said life, is interfering with the ability to interact in a manner acceptable, doesn’t that just create another set of problems?

I know there are thousands of people who do take the time needed to smell the roses, and I admire them for it, but in the last 10 years or so it seems you need to look for these people as opposed to just seeing them.

Given we are known the world over for being friendly and laid back, would it not make sense to actually be that way? If we’re perceived that way by overseas visitors, great, but surely we need to look after our own as well? Not forget the little things that can make a person’s day just that fraction easier?

I know overall there is still the help a mate and cheer for the underdog attitude, but these aren’t the things that visitors see. They see the main cities where the bulk of our population is centred. Surely it can only be a good thing if this attitude flowed into our everyday life?

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The sweetest sound on a farmer’s roof is that of an opening rain.

Around here, May is the best time of the year for sowing our crop and farmers tend to be on the lookout for rain anytime from mid-April onwards. Once we get to the beginning of May, they can get a little “antsy”, concerned that a later “opening break” can reduce the crops potential yield.

So, what is an opening rain? It’s where we get what we call a “break in the season”. Enough rain to start putting in a crop. For us this is anywhere between 1 and 2 inches. On 1 inch, they’ll start if timing is getting desperate. On 2 inches, they have smiles on their faces so big their faces almost fall off.

I’ve been pondering on the significance of an “opening rain” and how that can be applied in our own lives.

The opening rain brings with it so much transformation.

The earth turns from a dry, dusty, lifeless sod to a rich brown filled with all the potential of new growth.

The air has a certain “sweet” smell about it. A smell that brings with it a reminder of life and hope.

Within days (sometimes it seems like hours) tiny little green shoots pop up all over the place. A brilliant display of life in all it’s abundance.

You may be aware that farming has been going through tough times in recent years. A combination of weather patterns and decreased profit margins (caused by many factors) have left many a farmer struggling and wondering whether it’s all worthwhile. Every year many thousands (and in some cases millions) of dollars get invested in a crop. All risked on the hope that rains will fall at the right time, producing a crop which returns the original investment as well as a tidy profit.

In our area, it has been at least 6 years since many farmers have made a profit. Some years we’ve seen big losses and other years we’ve made small losses or barely broken even.

And yet, every year, without fail, that opening rain brings with it hope. A promise of a future. A chance for a fresh start.

Gone are the morbid thoughts of a failed crop the year before (and perhaps the year before that).

Instead, everyone looks forward, to the hope and promise that the future crop has to bring.

Kind of a good way to view life really isn’t it?

I’m sure we could all do with a little “opening rain” in our lives.

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So what is a BarCamp?

A lot of people probably saw the title of this post and thought “bar what?” – or assumed it had something to do with that great Australian institution, the pub. Although many BarCamp events in Australia at least do end up at the pub, that’s certainly not the main aim!

BarCamp is the name given to a international movement of informal, user-driven “unconferences” – do-it-yourself workshop-style events where everyone is encouraged to participate, either by presenting a topic or participating in a panel or debate, blogging about the event, taking photographs or shooting video, or helping out with lunch. Although most are one day events – typically on a weekend – some are getting so popular that they are expanding over multiple days.

A BarCamp is an absolute ton of fun, and a great educational experience as well. The people running them are generally very community-minded and are open to participation from people of any level – because everyone has something to offer, even those who don’t consider themselves gurus.

And as for the crazy name – according to Wikipedia, “BarCamp” came about as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Foo Camp, an invitation-only user-generated conference run by publisher Tim O’Reilly. “Foobar” is a term with a long history in computing. Which in itself raises a whole lot of other questions… but I’ll leave it up to the interested reader to follow the links through on that one!

Who comes to these things?

Traditionally, it’s been mostly people who work with the web – programmers, designers, web marketers, etc. But with blogging and podcasting hitting the mainstream, and social networking becoming part of many people’s daily lives, the BarCamp audience is expanding to include people who might not previously have considered themselves “geeks”.

In Perth, we have a strong community of librarians, for example, who are very interested in how social networking and blogging is changing the way they operate. Educators are also often involved. And of course there’s the bloggers!

What are they about?

The range of potential topics is limitless, and as the schedule is decided on the day, it will greatly depend on who is present.

At Perth’s first BarCamp, held in June 2007, there were sessions on blogging, web programming, the Second Life virtual world, ergonomics, mobile web sites and setting up a business. At a recent BarCamp held in Canberra, there were presentations on the “Getting Things Done” productivity methodology, Twitter, web site usability, and the use of social networking in business, amongst a whole range of other topics. Something for everyone!

Much of the time, speaker slides, notes and sometimes even audio or video are posted as well, so you can get a feel for the kind of topics that are covered – and catch up on anything you might have missed.

Sounds great! So how do I get involved?

There’s a central web site – BarCamp.org – where BarCamp events are organised. Check your city and see if there’s one coming up – the front page has THE definitive list of upcoming events.

And if there’s nothing in your area… maybe you could start one. Why not?

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