Knowra Puppetry Puppetry Puppetry is a performance art in which performers manipulate figures to create characters and action. It combines object movement, voice, and theatrical staging to make inanimate forms appear expressive or alive.
Hand puppet : A puppet operated by inserting a hand into its body or head, often moving its mouth with the fingers. Its direct hand-to-figure connection makes gesture and speech visible together.
Animation : The creation of moving images by displaying a sequence of still images or manipulating visual elements. Both arts make figures move, but puppetry performs movement live in physical space.
Wayang kulit : An Indonesian shadow-puppet tradition, especially associated with Java and Bali, using intricately cut leather figures. It is a long-established regional tradition with distinctive music, stories, and figure design.
Puppet animation : A filmmaking technique that photographs physical puppets in successive poses to create the illusion of motion. It adapts physical puppet manipulation to recorded, frame-by-frame performance.
Mask : A covering worn on the face or head to alter appearance or represent a character. A mask transforms the performer, while a puppet gives the character a separate body.
Marionette : A puppet suspended and controlled by strings attached to a control bar. Strings let a performer coordinate complex movement while remaining above the figure.
Anthropomorphism : The attribution of human characteristics, intentions, or emotions to nonhuman beings or objects. Audiences often interpret a puppet’s movement as evidence of thought or feeling.
Punch and Judy : A British puppet-show tradition centered on the comic and violent exploits of Mr. Punch and other characters. Its street performances show how puppetry became popular entertainment.
Puppet therapy : The use of puppets in therapeutic settings to support expression, communication, or emotional exploration. Puppets can provide an indirect way to voice difficult experiences.
Mime : A performance practice that communicates through physical action without spoken words. Mime centers the performer’s body; puppetry transfers expressive action to an object.
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