Art for Communities | Communities for Change
Schools, Activists. Neighbourhoods, Faith Groups, Unions
Events: Laurel Dykstra is a skilled facilitator who guides your group to imagine, build and animate a neighbourhood circus, community celebration, political demonstration, parade, performance or whatever else you can dream.
| Skills Workshops: | Popular and street theatre Giant puppets Stilt construction and performance Foam hand and rod puppets Mask Making |
All workshops, classes and events are designed for the time constraints, ages, values and other needs of the group.
Invite Laurel to animate your community event.
Great teaching materials and workshop!
Janet Brown, Salem OR
I’m not as shy since I learned to walk on stilts.
Akira Pedersen (age 11)
Performance: a costumed stilt dancer animates your event. Laurel’s characters include funny, scary, mysterious and nature themes.
Commissioned Pieces: puppets, masks, educational performances, banners designed for and with you.
Projects of Note
Laurel Dykstra, cofounder of Mad River Puppets, has more than ten years experience in street theatre and community based arts. Some of her recent work includes:
Our Community Circus—Four Sisters Housing Co-op, Vancouver
Street Theatre and Giant Puppets Workshop—Northwest Fellowship of Reconciliation Conference
Stilt Performance—Langley International Festival
Art Day for Street Involved Women—Downtown Eastside, Vancouver
Puppet Construction Workshop—Oaxaca Solidarity Group CIPO-Van
Fiery Phoenix Installation—In the Heart of the City Festival, Vancouver
co-facilitated Giant Puppet Pageant at Days of Action to Close the US Army School of the Americas—Ft. Benning, GA
“Giant Puppets.” In Making Stuff and Doing Things, Ed Kyle Bravo, Portland Oregon: Microcosm 2005
Thekla: the Virgin Marty Puppet Show—Tacoma WA
Jubilaction: the Jubilee Action Show—Miners Memorial, Cumberland, BC
