Please find our initial thoughts on what we think the project looks like, our inspiration material, and further down the page, a selection of previous work where Chloe and Matt have worked together on projects for Page One, and a selection of Matt’s other work in puppetry design, direction and making.
INSPIRATION MATERIAL: “IMAGINARY FRIENDS AND THE PEOPLE WHO CREATE THEM”
By Marjorie Taylor & Naomi R Aguiar
Abridged Book Blurb: Do you have children who create imaginary friends? Did you create imaginary friends as a child? In this expanded second edition, Marjorie Taylor and Naomi R. Aguiar provide an update on the research into imaginary friends that has taken place in the past twenty-five years.
Imaginary Friends and the People Who Create Them explores how imaginary friends function in the lives of both children and adults, with rich descriptions and illustrations, and delves into the research on related phenomena, such as imaginary worlds, relationships with media characters, and the creation of characters in fiction writing. Featuring exclusive interviews with well-known fiction writers, this book considers how imaginary friends are related to the development of creativity, social understanding, and the fantasy/reality distinction.
PINTEREST BOARD OF VISUAL REFERENCES
We’ve begun a board for visual references for the project. Some of these we find inspiring and are based in work that has been created with children describing or creating their imaginary friends in real life. Others we are including to show how we are thinking about the use and potential of inflatables, the possibility of printing on fabric, and combining patterns and shapes.
INITIAL CONCEPT IMAGE
We are curious and want to explore how we could take inflatable modular shapes of varying size and proportions, and combine them to create abstract figures and characters for a performer to animate, activate, interact with, and engage with. As you can see here, several elements are used in different instances to create different parts of anatomy and differing sorts of characters.
Previous Work: “RISE AND FALL”
– Page One Theatre
Directed by Chloe Stephens, Associate Director Matt Hutchinson
“In “Rise And Fall” you’ll meet all manner of balloons from small floating moons to vast bouncing orbs. Forever expanding and contracting, balloons are free to float, fly and sway. Hold your breath and go sailing away. Rise and Fall is a poetic and intriguing performance for young audiences about holding on and letting go.” A touring small scale show for 2-4 year olds. This show has toured to twenty-five UK venues and two international venues in Singapore (the Art Ground) and Vienna (Dschungel Vien). It appears in film as part of the permanent performance collection in the Imagine Gallery at the Young V&A museum.
Previous Work: “THE CURIOUS RAT”
– Page One Theatre & Little Angel Theatre
Co-Written and Directed by Chloe Stephens
Puppetry Designer, Director and Maker – Matt Hutchinson
“A big adventure for a small city rat.
The Curious Rat tells the story of Lucien, a lonely city rat who watches the pigeons from his home under Waterloo Bridge and wishes he could join them in the sky. One day he spots the most beautiful pigeon and takes his first brave steps to follow her into the lights of the big city…”
A poignant and poetic tale to inspire children and adults alike. Playfully combining puppetry and animated projection, this story encourages audiences to celebrate the things that make them unique. Recommended for ages 3-8.
A co-production with Little Angel Theatre, supported by Arts Council England.
Previous Work: “I SPY”
– Little Angel Theatre and Page One Theatre
Created by Chloe Stephens and Matt Hutchinson for Page One Theatre
“See the world a-new on a sensory journey through a collage of images and soundscapes. A gently playful and restful digital experience for ages 0-3 years and their families. Come and join our game, what do you see?”
I Spy is a digital short commissioned by Little Angel Theatre during the lockdown of 2021, dedicated to all lockdown babies.
MATT HUTCHINSON: Previous Work Portfolio
I’m a hybrid of a designer, director, maker or craftsperson, and theatre maker who speaks puppetry, and making objects perform, activate and interact. My practice is rooted in functionality and purpose, combining material properties and construction with ergonomics into storytelling. I’ve been fortunate to work across the performance industry, creating work for different audiences, sectors and types of work. I was a finalist for the Jerwood Live Arts Fund in 2020, and the inaugural recipient of the Sally Goldsworthy Bursary at Discover Children’s Storytelling Centre in 2015, an award given to storytellers whose pratice involves creating work for young audiences. I’m an associate artist of Page One Theatre, often contributing puppetry or object based ideas to their work.
Both “The Leftbehinds” for the National Theatre, and “Macbeth” for Singapore Rep Theatre used inflatables as part of the design and making elements. The example for “Macbeth” is shown below.
