Applied Puppetry - by Matt Smith (Paperback)

About the Book

This book maps the networks of puppetry used in applied theatre settings in relation to ecologies and communities.

Book Synopsis

Drawing on thirty years of making theatre with objects, this field-defining book maps the terrain of applied puppetry.

Through a range of case studies both personal and practical, Matt Smith offers a reflective and engaging study which provides makers, thinkers and students alike with a toolkit for thinking about and making puppetry in community settings.

Through eight chapters, Smith muses on the nature of creativity, explores approaches to puppetry through ecology, and considers how puppets and objects affect the act of making and - in turn - how they affect those who make, use and experience them in performance.

Along the way, Applied Puppetry offers practical exercises in theatre-making, demonstrates the political power of puppetry beyond borders, and interrogates the limitations and possibilities of puppetry and object theatre in local communities, volatile contexts and difficult circumstances.

Review Quotes

A significant contribution to puppetry and theatre studies: a thoughtful, wide-ranging, and challenging book which achieves an impressive integration of practice and theory. Smith's long experience in the field lends authority, honesty, and genuine reflection.
Puppetry International Research

Matt Smith offers an insider's guide to the world of applied puppetry - challenging us to think with and play with a world of objects. This is vital reading for all those interested in learning about the arts applied within communities or across different contemporary issues and concerns.
James Thompson, University of Manchester, UK

The breadth of Smith's knowledge is impressive ... For scholars of puppetry and applied theatre, this book provides many fascinating provocations and avenues for further inquiry. It also compellingly draws together performance practice and puppetry pedagogy.
Dance Chronicle

About the Author

Matt Smith is Reader in Applied Theatre and Puppetry at the University of Portsmouth, UK, prior to that having spent 20 years as a community artist. During this time, he worked with schools, youth groups, children in care, special needs groups, prisons, hospitals, environmental agencies and the homeless. He has published a number of journal articles on applied puppetry.