Puppets
A life-long love of puppets has lead to all sorts of wonderful adventures: Travelling to Norway to study at a puppet intensive, creating large scale outdoor events (The Longest Night, Summer Solstice, Hydra) with Calliope Collective, herding a flock of giant goats to festivals, and many more! See below for photos and videos of some of the fun.
Josh is a founding member of Calliope Collective, as well as the Artistic Director of Thin Edge Puppets.
This short puppet activation film was created on the final day of a 10 day puppet building intensive (BRINGING LIFE TO A PUPPET, Sep-Oct 2023) with Matt Jackson (US/NL) at Nordland Visual Theatre / Figurteatret I Nordland in Stamsund, Norway. Matt taught puppet creation from his unique style inspired in part by Japanese Noh Theatre and the Bunraku tradition.
This activation was inspired both by the puppet as well as the landscape of the Lofoten Islands where the workshop was situated. I filmed, performed, edited, and improvised a score in a few hours and then we showcased our films together as the culminating celebration of the workshop. Each of the participants (10) created a similar short activation film with their puppet in the location of their choosing around the theatre.
The Lone Coyote by The Gertrudes
Video Production by Jay Middaugh/Happy Kid Productions
Coyote Puppeteering: Josh Lyon
Josh is one of the founding members of Calliope Collective, and has taken on the roles of Technical Director, Puppet Builder, Musician, Show Director, as well as many other hats! This video showcases some of the work that went into Calliope’s Midsummer Event. Learn more about Calliope Collective at https://calliopecollective.com/