Strongarm Makes | Artist

Strongarm Makes

Phone: +61 404 553 363

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25.01.2022 A brief trip to Australia to be reunited with my best loves; mum and dad, the cats, my mates, the beach, the food (custard tarts and lime breakas, yes pleaaaase), the birdsong, the accents. Not all of which are pictured, but all are deeply loved. Three cities (brissy, melbs, the goldie). I got to play in a street party as a dumb clown, a festival in a giant troll puppet, a podcast interview with a brand new friend, and a short film shoot in the chilly nights. I’m returning to China with my big ukulele, 2kg of milo and a big refuel on cuddles and larrikin humour - ready for another stint at the Arts Space for Kids and more adventures with the big shiny humans in the last picture. Stoked. #straya @ Australia

24.01.2022 So, as I’ve been told and have now learnt, things move fast in China... and they CHANGE EVEN FASTER. When you don’t speak the language, it’s particularly tricky to keep up with those fast-paced changes. Technology is wonderful, and google translate is absolutely magic in the fact that it can hear a conversation in real-time, and provide you with an equivalent in your language. So sometimes, that’s how I try to keep up. ... But I have to be honest... I’m not 100% sure it really nailed it this time.

20.01.2022 Now we move from giant shadows to giant puppets! The first test of a new rig that will be built collaboratively with pre-school aged children. I’ve made giant puppets FOR children, and to be operated BY children, but now WITH children... so keen. Can’t wait to play. Video ft. the random assortment of materials I could find in the office to build a test puppet, and Aqiong who came to help me out with movement tests and later with engineering suggestions (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - that woman is an absolute genius)

19.01.2022 It's been a rather busy time in the last few months! I've kept pretty quiet about this one, but in addition to settling nicely into work with The A.S.K children's theatre education program in Beijing, I've also been busily working on a new children's theatre work for Brisbane! BLAST OFF! A 0-5 year-olds space-adventure using clown, puppetry, song and dance launches TOMORROW at the Queensland Museum Discovery Day for Little Learners! Written by Caitlin Strongarm, designed by S...tefan Cooper-Fox, and performed by the pair of us together on stage! (*well, one of us on stage, and one of us in the form of voice recordings and songs sent all the way from China) If you have little people and want to learn some space-facts, dance along to the funkiest space-themed disco songs and hear my disembodied voice as a ship's computer, then I highly recommend BLASTING OFF to the QLD Museum tomorrow.

18.01.2022 The spring semester for Creation Lab at the ASK is almost over! So far the Beijing team has delivered 2 out of 8 shows made collaboratively with children. We’ve built box cities, helped a volcano princess sneak past a dinosaur, shown a rooster ninja how to use spoons, helped an alien win the intergalactic dancing trophy, sung our way home on an overhead projected boat, and rescued the shadow giant. So proud of our little artists, of my unparalleled co-facilitator Aqiong (who is an actual genius) and of the whole ASK team for the support in this ambitious endeavour and in their own creation labs!

13.01.2022 BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT: the ASK ‘Medium’ summer camp attendees and myself would like to introduce to you all our latest family member. In a ten-child-and-one-giant-puppeteer-Australia-to-China-cross-cultural-collaboration, we turned a cloth onto which we had drawn our fears, dreams and big ideas into a giant puppet completely operated by children. Safe to say, we are all madly in love with it and having a blast teaching them to take their first giant-marionette steps. ... (I think I’ve found my life’s work in facilitating moments of interactive theatre where small people can move big things. My heart is very happy) @ Beijing

13.01.2022 Just me and my giant troll-child hanging out in The Valley for BIGSOUND Festival #Bigsound #giantpuppets

11.01.2022 Hiked up a wild section of the Great Wall of China today and sat amongst the cherry blossoms to write some children’s songs. Tiny ukuleles; perfect for travelling and making art on the road.

10.01.2022 3 successful moon-bound launches! Professor C. Razy and D.E.L.T.A took audiences skyward at the Queensland Museum today for the Discovery Day for Little Learner...s! Super proud of our tiny team - Stefan Cooper-Fox (SNAParazzi) and Caitlin Strongarm (Strongarm Makes) created an entire children's show in collaboration, despite being in completely separate hemispheres the entire time. Making magic together from opposite sides of the world. You can BLAST OFF! with your own little scientists again on July 23rd, and October 15th.

07.01.2022 A massive week in Shanghai, attending and performing at The International Conference for Theatre and Innovative Education at the Oriental Arts Centre. PLUS, the website has has a wee re-vamp to include some of the projects that I've been working on while over in China. www.caitlinstrongarm.com

05.01.2022 After the 70 year Golden Week celebrations, it looks like the internet in China is working again. Hooray! I spent the week in a room filled with incredible artists of various delights, creating in a residency for PAN Shanghai and the International Climate Change Theatre Action Festival. Here are a few pics of the seahorse; the 5th giant puppet I've built in China, and the first giant puppet I've made from 100% reclaimed materials (thank you Chinese streets and your abundance of trash-flavoured treasures). Plus, introducing Alex Gomar to giant puppeteering was my favourite thing ever.

03.01.2022 Living in China and working for the A.S.K children’s theatre company for the last 3 months has been nothing short of magic. Sometimes incredibly challenging magic, but magic nonetheless. I am working in a team of absolutely world class facilitators with incredible dedication and passion, and have been leading scores of brilliant young people in workshops on puppetry, and shadow theatre. Now we’re co-devising/directing 8 different shows with children using process drama as a method to bring the ideas generated by children into a work of theatre. This photograph is all curiosity and all engagement; all figuring out ‘wow, what is that and how does it work?’ - a great encapsulation of the last 3 months.

02.01.2022 New facilitators heading the The A.S.K Shanghai!