Dandifest 2017 is coming!

Norwich Dandies are preparing for Dandifest 2017.

If you would like to submit work in the festival have a think about the different themes. We have collaborated with Golden Bees from Australia and looking for submissions for a buzzing bee exhibition.
Also joined forces with Eaton Park cafe for a bicycle picture/painting to adorn the cafe during the festival.
1 square foot show will spread across Norwich in shop windows. Works no bigger then 1 square ft.
International postcard art exhibition which will be in a gallery window on St. Augustine's.
Local and International celebrity portraits show in Yarmouth Library.
Bird painting, photo, wall sculpture. Which will raise cash for Wing and a Prayer and the RSPB. This show is on at the Bridge Gallery at the Birdcage pub.

Norwich Dandies fundrazr

Norwich Dandies are fund raising for next year. They have quite a few big plans for next year and they have applied for Arts council funding but in order to receive the funding from the arts council they have to raise 10 percent. So I started a crowd funding campaign as we have quite a few perks to offer that make donating easier. Next year we plan Dandifest 2015 bigger and brighter and better and also to major shows in London for disability week and a tour of Norfolk round the villages. Please do donate and if you cant do share the funding page. A big thanks from the Dandies and we hope you can come and join in our events next year we try to make as accessible as possible for everyone. Click here to link to page

Pledge hammer!!! Rising!

Hammer rising! A series of pictures I put together for One billion and rising to stop violence against women all over the world. Everyone all over the world is going to dance on the street on the 14th of February 2013. Norwich will be dancing outside the Forum at One pm. 

If you would like a print of one of these pictures just let me know. Half the cash will go to women's charity to help women who have been subjected to violence. 

Boxing gloves rising! The pair are rising together to end violence against women!

Acid Rising! This very strong acid pledges not to be thrown in women's faces.

Saw Rising! The Saw has made a pledge to stop sawing up women and hiding there body's.

Whisk rising! This Whisk has risen and made a pledge not to beat women!

Clever Rising! Never again is Clever gonna chop up women!

Stone Rising! This stone and all the stones in the world have pledged not to throw stones at women.

Chisel Rising! This Chisel has risen and will never chisel a women again.

Pledge Rising! Pledge has pledged not to buy women cleaning products as presents for special occasions like valentines day, birthdays, Christmas! In fact never as any type of present and will buy women flowers or something that she really wants as a present. 

Cake tin 2

Here is about my art work the film was made by Clementine doll and was sponsored by The Cake tin foundation in Manchester.
Last year I had an exhibition of creative drag Queen portraits at Franks Bar in Norwich as part of the Norwich Pride arts trail for Norwich Pride. Clementine doll was making a film about the day in the life of Norwich's famous Pequlia Bigtopp. Pequlia went to Franks bar to see her portrait and that is where Clementine doll had the idea of filming all my my paintings.
The Cake tin foundation in Manchester is a charity that helps LGBT performers outside of London put on shows.

Dinosaur puppet show Erth 2012 Norwich

Dinosaur puppet show came to Norwich and drew an enormous crowd of children and family's.

The Dinosaurs came all the way the way from Australia and everyone really adored them.

Dinosaur has been practising to play for Norwich city football.

Roar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kid participating in feeding the hungry dinosaur.

Dinosaur has a lovely smile.

Cover your ears the screaming children.

Very brave girl gets a dinosaur biting her head.

Dinner time these carnivores like meat very fresh

Watch the giant tail.

Giant dragon fly over the millions of Norfolk children.

Emma having so much fun at the Norfolk and Norwich festival.

 Knock, Knock, who's there? When is a door, not a door.

This Dino is checking out the crowds

 Watch out its a naughty Dino is on the move.

Its behind you!!!!!!

Thirsty work entertaining millions of children.

Mini mini mini bus tours of the festival.

Indian puppet man

Photo's by Anand Raj 

This is a photo of a puppet man in Delhi India. This puppet man is a duppelganaer of Norwich Puppet man and of similar age. In just a few days this photo has been shared around the facebook community majority of the people in india and he seems to be as popular as the Norwich Puppet man. 

I only came across the photos because a in 2010 I went out to Indian to stay with Anand Gurnani who is India's animation guru. Anand had a company called Animation Xpress and he makes the Indian animation popular. I have illustrated one of Anand's storys, because I became friends with him through my Facebook group women cartoonists. I also really liked the story that he wanted to tell. I painted the illustrations in Acrylic on paper and put them in my portfolio and set off for Mumbai and stayed with Anand's amazing family. Anand introduced me to some amazing people and we even went to meet Mumbai's deviant artists who were meeting up from the networking website for the first time. We made a claymation in his bedroom of the story thanks to the help of his top claymation friends. Then he took me on a photography holiday with a group called Life away from Life. We took a sleeper train to Rajasthan and hung out in Bundi. 

When I got back to the England, I made friends on Facebook with all my new friends from India and that is how I came across this photo from one of my friends Facebook pages, when I was posting about my new group exhibition Slick or Slack at The Art Project Shop in Norwich which runs for one month.

I sent the photos to the EDP newspaper in Norfolk but they are too lazy to publish the story so I thought I might as well publish the story on my own blog. A special thanks to Anand Raj for posting on facebook.

This is what was written with the photo. 

Last saturday I met a Sales Man With Puppet!!!!!(A note from Anand Rai)

I saw him last saturday around 6.30 pm in F block, Inner Circle, Connought Place. He is Well Dressed wearing ironed full-sleeved shirt which is tucked into trouser that has a black leather belt and a stick to support his steps.

His hand is covered with a puppet gloves which makes a "PPPPPIIIIPPPP" sound that enable him to attra

ct passerby.

I am curious to know about his life. What I got ! I wanted to share with you guys!

Let's meet Mr Sahay he is a live example for the people who scared from struggle. He is aged 75 

At this age he comes daily from rohtak with a bag full of puppets and a water bottle which is heavier & makes him uneasy to put each step.

He has a railway pass which enable him to commute daily from Rohtak. He earns for his wife, married daughter and her children. 

He is Retired Bank manager. He had a son who done chartered accountancy, he has spent all his saving for his carrier.

His son moved to Bahrain without informing him and after some time a news comes to him that his son died in an accident.

Now he is the only bread earner for his family.

Please buy a pair of puppet which cost Rs 40 to support Mr.Sahay! Not for Sympathy but to Salute Mr Sahay !!!!!

Clementine the living fashion doll at Norwich Puppet theatre.

Here is a cute little film to watch, if you have difficulty watching it try here

On the 17th November 2012 at 7pm. My friend Clementine the fabulous living fashion doll will be at the Norwich puppet theatre. Showing casing the best talent in the UK and performing a wonderful cabaret  Call this number now and book your tickets Theatre box office 01603 629921

Norwich Pride Film Festival Second Showing 2012

Silhouette of the audience at Norwich Prides first film festival 2012 second showing at Fusion at the forum

Silhouette of the Film festival cake and film about two lovers.

The right side of the cinema in the forum, showing a film about a song about stopping abuse.

Its Miso Haha puppet, introducing the festival and waving the rainbow flags.

Shelly Telly with the Film festival cake at Fusion in the forum.

Introduction from Miso Haha the puppet from down under and lots of credits on screen for Eloise O'Hare the artist.

The 5 different screens running at the same time, with written words on two of them and subtitles on the others. A few films had sign language.

The audience at the Norwich Pride Film festival 2012 at Fusion at the Forum in Norwich 2nd showing

Javanese Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppet) Workshop

On Wednesday the 20 July 2011 at 4pm till 6 pm there will be a Javanese Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppet) Workshop). This going to be held either in the lovely outside area or inside upstairs, depending on the weather. The puppet in the photo is a self portrait done in the style of the Javanese puppets. When I was in Java at the Mata day air festival I saw Javas best puppet performers, they were very good. That has inspired me to give it ago.

Mr. Eugene Lambert

Mr Eugene Lambert Ireland's leading puppeteer past away last night. Sincere condolences to his family from Jim, Marian and family. He will be greatly missed by everyone all over the world.

Merry Christmas Everyone

To all the my blogging fans a special Christmas card. Happy Christmas have a great holiday, reuse your old cards and envelopes and paper.

The Jester Puppet

The jester puppet also starred in puppet idol and was performed by Raven my cousin Emma Anderson's son. Juggling many objects through the air. Raven was only a young boy at the time and did very well at puppetry especially as we did no rehearsal for the show. There was other children wanting to perform the puppets but as they were not involved in the making of the show and we had already planned what was happening I had to let them enjoy the show instead.

Jim O'Hare Puppet

Jim O'Hare puppet another of the family portrait puppets that starred in my first unscripted show. Jim is a retired set designer and mostly spends his retirement on the phone to old friends, but has recently got a job showing people around Felbrigg hall. He designed the famous Wanderly wagon kids show, the Late late show, Murphy's micro quizzum, Halls pictorial weekly, the Billy Boyle show, Heart beat, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Emedale farm and many more I cant remember the names of. Bugsy Malone was my favourite film and I really wanted one of those peddle cars as a kid and could do with one now.

Jim took up extra work with my mother and stood in for Peter Ustinov as a king in a film made in Dublin. Being an extra is part and parcel of working television the list is endless of parts in films he has been in. If you watched father Ted the drunk priest Fr. Jack Hackett is based on Jim's character. Since Jim watched Father Ted he has given up the drink.

Rachel Anderson puppet

Auntie Rachel Anderson one of the family collection of hand puppets, I especially enjoyed making her glasses, she has always worn glasses with a bit of sparkle in the frames. Rachel is a prolific writer and wrote her first book when she was just 17 years old called Pineapple which my mother illustrated for her. Her books range from children's stories to real life events. She manages motherhood and grand-motherhood and one of her sons, Sang, is my favourite cousin, who came with his parents to visit me in Australia. Sang is a brilliant and works at Norwich Cathedral and the Forget-Me-Not cafe. I sometimes join Sang in song at his wild karaoke nights.

Rachel has got a new book out every time I visit her. My last visit I was picking blackberries with her grandchild in her woodland garden.

Tip toe to her website, built by Robert.

Annabel lines the puppet

"Annabel Lines", one of the best performers on the planet. This puppet has working hula hoops, just like in one of Annabel's incredible performances she can hula more hoops then anyone in the world and has toured the world doing so. I caught up with her as she was hooping on stage with Rock star "Peaches" in London, it was wild.

Annabel was the lead in my Can can show in Sydney and she can Can can with high platform heals.

She also got me back to fitness and health after I had a major operation and got very tubby. She came to Norfolk and speed walked me across fields and through woods. The Annabel puppet starred in my Puppet idol show hooping the hoola.

The first show I ever saw Annabel in, was in Sydney's finest theatres performing with Marty Jay and Boogle woogle, she is definitely the hottest, funniest shiela on stage. Far funnier then Jack Tattie and if I had a million bucks I would make a movie with her staring in it.

I caught her on You tube here doing comedy 

Kath Ellis Puppet

Kath Ellis puppet, my good and talented friend from Australia artist and performer. She is wearing a green tou tou that she had made for gigs she did at the Sandringham hotel in Newtown in the 1980's and the Elvis outfit was made in the late ninety's. Kath and I worked on so many arty things together I would be here for 7 years writing them. Kath is still working hard and has a band called Kathellism and also sings solo and does not need a microphone. She is currently working in Indonesia creating a festival with the art of bamboo, bands and pure talent.