Talking Heads

Children travel through time bringing portraits or historical figures to life. Through reflection, research or analysis children decide what portraits or figures from history would be saying to us. Life size puppets are created by small teams working alongside an adult volunteer. The process can be applied to historical or fictional figures as well as issue based drama in PHSE where the puppet character becomes the mouthpiece for young people discussing challenging issues.

This project can be supplied with a Build My Future board game so that children work collaboratively to grow a character from age 13 to 25. Once built, dressed and scripted the puppet shares its learning about life to the whole class.

War Horse puppeteers assisting 13 year old students with puppetry skills

These workshops enhance

Looking at art
Emotional Literacy
Visiting art galleries and museums
Historical research
Creative writing
Performance
Teamwork
Drama
PHSE

A Pandemic Lockdown Moment

What?

Pre event materials are sent to the school for teachers to explore how we interpret feelings faces and the symbols and meanings in paintings
A visit to a gallery or museum to look, research and generate ideas or pictures are brought into school
Children will build and decorate a life size puppet to as the character from history or the person in the portrait using ingenious card templates and children's creativity
Performances to peers or wider audiences of parents
Short films can be produced
Board Game can be used with older students

Outcomes for your pupils:

Using an art gallery or museum to research and analyse paintings

Understanding facial expressions

Construction skills

Communication and performing skills

Teamwork

Puppets to take away and use again

Decolonised curriculum topics

Older students explore ways of creating a well balanced life