Australia-RI Share Giant Puppets

Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Mr Bill Farmer announced today that the giant puppet theatre company, the Snuff Puppets, is hosting a residency by Indonesian artist and stage manager Mr Johan Didik Handianto from October to December 2007.

“This is an exciting opportunity for the Snuff Puppets to continue their creative collaboration with the artistic community of Indonesia,” the Ambassador said.

“My wife and I were among the thousands who gathered at the Alun-Alun Utara in June to enjoy a spectacular and highly amusing blend of Australian and Indonesian creative excellence,” he said.

“These people put on a great show together.”

The Snuff Puppets are a giant puppet company based in Melbourne, Australia, which combines puppetry, live music, and visual and physical theatre to create a unique and comic performance language.

In May and June this year, the Snuff Puppets collaborated with the Bagong Kussudiardjo Arts Centre on the People’s Puppet Project to entertain the people of Yogyakarta during the Yogyakarta Arts Festival 2007 with a performance of giant puppets at the Alun-Alun Utara. Johan – a lighting and stage designer - was a key participant in the creative process leading up to the performance.

Through his eight-week visit to Melbourne, Johan will gain an understanding of the Snuff Puppets theatrical model and its productions. The Universitas Gadjah Mada graduate will also be able to contribute to the existing network of creative cooperation between artists and arts organizations in Melbourne and Yogyakarta.

The longstanding bilateral residency program is supported by the Australia Indonesia Institute, an Australian Government Initiative, in cooperation with the Ford Foundation. The residency program is managed by University of Melbourne’s Asialink and the Kelola Foundation.

Further information:
Fiona Hoggart (First Secretary, Cultural) Tel. (021) 2550 5260 mob. 0811 936 302