Gina Moss

And I'm free!

2009-11-24T15:30:00.003+11:00

Just finished my year at the Victorian College of the Arts doing the Postgrad Diploma in Puppetry. On to the next thing.. whatever that may be. If anyone has ideas I'd love to hear them! Actually I do have ideas, will be putting them into action soon so watch this space!

The Shackleton Project

2009-11-24T14:30:00.006+11:00

Our last project for the year in the VCA puppetry course was to work with New York artists Phantom Limb on a creative development for their upcoming show The Shackleton Project. The show will open in New York in 2011.

We spent a month working with Jessica Grindstaff and Erik Sanko, making puppets and experimenting with design and performance elements of the show. We made 7 characters, all me who accompanied Sir Ernest Shackleton on his ill fated 1914 trans-antarctic expedition. The marionettes were built by us under Erik's direction which was a wonderful experience. Their attention to detail was impeccable!

As a performer this project was really challenging, learning how to walk on stilts and operate a marionette for the first time in two weeks! No one fell off the stilts fortunately - it would have compromised the grace of the whole thing I think..!

I'm looking forward to seeing how Erik and Jessica develop the show, their next stop is Antarctica to record sound among other things.

Phantom Limb Company: http://www.phantomlimbcompany.com/projects/shackleton/

Photos by Sarah Walker

The Seewell Family Cabaret

2009-11-24T14:24:00.002+11:00

Directed by Beth McMahon

I was a puppeteer on this show of Beth's. It was devised and directed by her as part of her Masters of Puppetry at the VCA and was also part of the 2009 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

We designed, built and performed with a crazy array of puppets for this show. It was fantastic to work with a team of 6 puppeteers, all unseen. We used a lot of black theatre and blacklight theatre techniques alongside action on stage with actors.

You can see more of Beth's work here: http://www.theindirectobject.com/

Messy Questions - Scotchmer St Experiment

2009-11-24T14:10:00.002+11:00

In August we set up a group called the Scotchmer St Experiment. Along with 10 other artists we did our first performance called Messy Questions at my house in Scotchmer st in North Fitzroy. It was the first of what I hope will be many happenings at the house. I'll post a notice when we do a second installment of some kind.

Check out some photos from our first experiment:

Artists: Gina Moss, Kerensa Diball, Ptisi Hatcher, Michaela Manchoulas, Jo-Lyn McKenzie, Bronwen Kamasz, Paola Aguanta, Alesh Macak, Jessie Moss, Brigette Lewis, Aleza Gratian

Duda Paiva Workshop

2009-11-24T13:17:00.003+11:00

In July this year we did a 2 week workshop with Amsterdam based puppeteer Duda Paiva. We spent 4 days sculpting our puppets from foam, Duda's preferred material to work with. The workshop was focused on exploring the relationship between the puppeteer and the puppet, in particular how that relationship begins in the body. The workshop has started me on a track to investigate how movement can be a way to begin creating work rather than simply a way of expressing character and relationships.

Check out Duda's work here: http://www.dudapaiva.com/dpc/

T-Bone Turns a Trick!

2009-11-24T13:08:00.004+11:00

This was a solo project I did this year as part of the Postgrad Diploma in Puppetry at VCA. I devised, designed, built and performed this short piece with operational support from other production students.

Cuba Street Carnival 2007 - Illuminated Night Parade

2009-11-23T12:33:00.007+11:00

This is the first puppet I ever made.

I turned a 10m truck into a giant Phoenix bird and my choir sang inside. We made the float for the Cuba Street Carnival's Illuminated Night Parade, we could only fit about 50 of our group into the truck in the end. Will have to build a bigger one next time!

I designed and built the float on behalf of the Wellington Community Choir: http://www.wellingtoncommunitychoir.org.nz/

The Cuba Street Carnival is New Zealand's biggest and most exciting street festival. It happens every two years. Check it out: http://www.cubastcarnival.co.nz/page/home.aspx