Theatre with puppets and animation
“We combine traditional puppet theatre with digital puppetry and animation, presenting live and recorded performances to our audiences”.
Over lockdowns, Small World Theatre learned new skills to create digital puppetry and ‘Amser Stori’ a collection of Welsh storytelling performances for children supported by the Arts Council of Wales.
Y Llwybr Mellt, pennod 1
Amser Stori is available to watch now on AM.
Episodes
Y Llwybr Mellt
Originally created by the company as a live theatre performance with Welsh playwright Meredydd Barker, it has been beautifully adapted into a narrated series for the digital stage.
Follow Ella’s exciting journey on the back of a flying hare across continents, learning the importance of protecting our planet.
Cawl Cerrig
Through shadow puppetry and expressive narration, viewers will enjoy this Persian folk story about the value of sharing.
Criw’r Coed a Gwenyn Coll
A story by Carys Glyn adapted by Small World Theatre. Join the forest crew - Owl, Deer, Blackbird, Eagle and the swift Salmon as they save a bee and learn about the environment
Feeding Grief to Animals
Written and directed by Rebecca Parfitt. Art department and shadow puppetry by Small World Theatre. BBC Four, Ffolio, Dec 2021.
The film is a live-action animation told through the medium of shadow puppetry. The story explores a woman’s grief and internal conflict with her body as she loses the baby (narrated by Heledd Gwynn). Desperate to fill the void, she goes to her garden to try to seek solace in nature by feeding the animals that visit. To watch the 4-min film, please visit Feeding Grief to Animals.
Feeding Grief to Animals.
NODDFA
Created in partnership with Winding Snake Productions and Oasis Cardiff.
We used participatory drama methods to work with a group of asylum seekers from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Mali, Congo, Eritrea, Vietnam and other countries. Through shadow puppetry, we offered a means to tell participants’ traumatic stories. Winding Snake took their puppets and stories and made them into this beautiful animation.
This projects addressed the negative stereotyping of immigrants and refugees in the media. NODDFA was screened by WOW Film Festival and in Chicago at DocYourWorld 2017.
NODDFA a film made with refugees.
PLASTIGWAELOD
A shadow puppetry, film and animation project
Commissioned by Aberystwyth Arts Centre for their exhibition Hanes: tales, stories, legends & myths, Sep 2017 - Jan 2018.
The show explored Wales and legends, folk and fairy tales, and mythology. It featured important works by internationally renowned artists David Hockney and Bedwyr Williams. A major focal point and popular with the public was Small World Theatre's enormous 7.6m tall puppet of Bendigeidfran in the main gallery space.
During a 2-day workshop process, Small World Theatre worked with 14 participants to update the old legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The group created characters and made them into shadow puppet characters. Their story was filmed and edited by artist Sean Vicary to create Plastigwaelod.
Plastigwaelod a film made with workshop participants.
Welcome to the Digital Stage!
Our Digital Stage 2021 presented an exciting series of live-streamed cabarets that expanded Small World’s skills and connected us to AM. We virtually entertained our audiences near and far. It was a heart-warming experience and brought our community closer in difficult times. Presented by Beyond Compere (a digital puppet) the cabarets included top-notch performances filmed especially for the events and live action by the host.
In this live-streamed episode, we welcomed Seriously Good Magic Tom on board the Noctiluca in the Canaries to perform magic. Mime artists The Sinkoplaters going to extraordinary lengths with their cleaning efforts to keep the virtual audience safe. Hannah Darby and Emma Stevens (SBB trainers) performing their à la mode vintage aerial act. The Chalk Outlines, Ska, Rock ‘n’ Roll party rioters, reunited to play original material and crank up the energy. A fantastic virtual night out supported by Arts Council of Wales.
Live-streamed cabaret 2021.
Related press.
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Performed tales for children 8/8/22
Small World Theatre combines traditional puppetry skills with exciting character animation to tell its first tale ‘Cawl Cerrig’ in August. Through shadow puppetry and expressive narration, viewers will enjoy this Persian folk story about the value of sharing.
Small World Theatre invites viewers and remote learners to explore a new version of ‘Y Llwybr Mellt’ in September. Originally created by the company as a live theatre performance with Welsh playwright Meredydd Barker, it has been beautifully adapted into a narrated series for the digital stage. Follow Ella’s exciting journey on the back of a flying hare across continents, learning the importance of protecting our planet.
Amser Stori’s collection also includes ‘Criw Coed ar Gwenyn Coll’ written by Carys Glyn. Join the forest crew - Owl, Deer, Blackbird, Eagle and the swift Salmon as they save a bee and learn about their environment.
“The online collection began during times of remote learning, when parents and educators were looking for material to encourage their children,” said Ann Shrosbree, Director of Small World Theatre “Learning ground-breaking digital puppetry skills, collaborating with artists, talented writers and actors, helped us engage with audiences deeply affected by the consequences of lockdown. We’re now excited to release this beautiful Welsh language collection and see this as a great resource to share.”
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How digital technology is guiding Small World Theatre into new ways of working. 2/11/20
Independent organisation and community venue, Small World Theatre, is delighted to announce plans to launch a digital stage to find ways to engage, support artists and entertain audience through the Winter months funded by the Arts Council of Wales’ Cultural Recovery Fund.
Many artists and arts organisations are having a worrying time addressing the COVID situation in Wales. Audiences are missing contact with their local community venues and freelancers are facing difficulties finding commissions. Small World Theatre is reassuring the community that there are plans a-foot to create a socially distanced, large-scale event working with Cardigan Castle around Christmas time. "Small World Theatre has its roots in the community and we are doing everything we can to bring safe entertainment and some relief during these difficult times.” says Director Ann Shrosbree.
Small World Theatre has also received timely support from the Arts Council of Wales to explore and experiment with new ground-breaking digital techniques. It will be introducing new 2D puppet characters taking its work online to present a Winter programme of events live-streamed from its venue. The Digital Stage will include story time for children, intimate gigs, a Cabaret show and more besides. "This is an experiment that's somewhere between live performance and watching a film. Instead of feeling overly restricted by COVID, we aim to enhance our work using technology, find new ways to engage audiences and reach more people in their homes." says Marketing Manager Sam Vicary. "We will be doing everything we can to keep the atmosphere warm and friendly, showcasing many of your favourite performers such as Beyond Compere, until we are able to safely meet again".
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Theatre creates shadow puppetry sequences for Animated Short 14/12/21
Small World Theatre was commissioned by writer and director Rebecca Parfitt to create shadow puppetry sequences for Feeding Grief to Animals, to be broadcast this weekend as part of BBC Four’s ‘Animated Shorts’.
Ann and Bill, with help from Jacob Whittaker (camera) and Heledd Gwynn (voice) created a shadow puppet ultrasound scan. Feeding Grief to Animals is the story of a grieving woman who comes to terms with the loss of her baby by welcoming wild animals into her garden. The film is part of the Ffolio emerging film maker project in Wales supported by BBC Wales and Arts Council of Wales.
Rebecca was keen to use shadow puppetry in the making of her film. “Telling the story by way of shadow puppetry, as a form of live action animation, felt like the most authentic and organic way to explore this experience; allowing the viewer to witness the events inside the space of the sonogram.” We are delighted for Rebecca that the film has been selected for the 'Animated Shorts' programme which is now available on iPlayer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0012j68
