Introduction
I am a maker, performer , designer and creator. I have a fixation for expressing through visual and material forms. I trained and performed as a dancer and segued from dance to puppetry in 1998.
After years working in large studio’s and workshops for commercial companies I became a parent. This informed my desire to create with earth friendlier materials and where possible up-cycle, hand dye and felt natural fibers making tactile and sensory creations.
I have been has been fortunate to work with many companies and directors who incorporate puppetry. This relationship has taken me all over the world performing in many festivals and events.
Working with puppets from the miniature to the large and very large. Styles of puppetry include Rod, Tabletop, Shadow, Glove, Marionette, Stop motion, Animatronic film and Arena, festival roving, and body puppets.
Jūratė and Kastytis- 2D stop Motion film
Time capsule
Credits include:
Currently the Puppet designer and fabricator for AIME Mentoring.
Two-year stint through Europe, Australia, and Asia as a Voodoo animatronics puppeteer on “The Arena Spectacular of Walking with Dinosaurs”.
Puppeteer and maker for A Blank Canvas
Puppet designer and fabricator for award-winning series “No Strings attached” Green Bean Pictures
Puppeteer and maker for Victorian Opera and maker for Opera Australia
Full-time position within the skins department with The Creature Technology Company
Various productions as a puppeteer and maker for both Windmill Performing Arts and Patch Theatre Company ( South australia) Puppeteer for Terrapin ( Tasmania) Maker, performer, and workshop assisting for Polyglot, Puppeteer for Black Hole, Costume and floats for The Moomba Parade, Puppeteer for Puppet Vision, Assistant to the director of puppetry for The Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony. ( Victoria )
Vanessa Ellis 