Special Event 2004

Fashion designer JEAN PAUL GAULTIER commissioned Mainstring
Theatre to create 44 human size string puppets for his ready-to-wear autumn collection. The fashion show was held in March at the Carreau du Temple in Paris.

A brief look at our activities in 2005

MARCH - School shows
- Trainee from GRETA HAUTE MARNE(eastern France) 3 weeks of wood-working marionettes – Le Petit Flécher, La Pommeraye
APRIL - Kernault Manor, Brittany – marionette shows, general public
- Nantes – marionette shows (school)
- Théâtre à la Coque – Hennebont (Brittany) – « Entresorts »
MAY - Adult wood-working workshops – Le Petit Flécher, La Pommeraye (workshops take place at our farm in the Loire valley)
- Marionette shows, general public
JUNE - Adult wood-working workshops-Le Petit Flécher, La Pommeraye
JUJY - Forges les Eaux (Normandy) Marionette shows, general public
AUGUST - Balexert Shopping Mall – Geneva, Switzerland : travelling exhibit, daily shows and workshops for children - from August 7th to September 12th
SEPTEMBER – Balexert Shopping Mall – Geneva, Switzerland
OCTOBER - Durtal – Marionette show, general public
NOVEMBER - Antique Toy Fair – Betton(Brittany) travelling exhibit
- St. Georges du Bois – school show
- Trélazé –school show
DECEMBER - School shows
Culturel Centre La Rennaissance – Mondeville(Normandy) Travelling exhibit, school shows and general public, workshops for children

Project with the Doué la Fontaine Zoo. Object : create a marionette happening at their Zoo, a 15 minute show on the theme of the care-takers relationship with the animals in the Zoo. Support : a hand and rod puppet representing an endangered species, the Diane of Rolloway monkey

Training sessions for the animal care-takers of the Zoo. Learning to use the puppet and acting.
- Preliminary tests in filming marionettes in preparation of a cinematographic project.

Workshop tour and encounter with the puppeteers
Le Petit Flécher, La Pommeraye (Loire valley)
- Images Café, Hérouville St. Clair(Normandy) Workshop, demonstration and encounter with the puppeteers following showing of the movie « Strings »
- « Exhibit fragments » Parts of our exhibit can be seen at the Public Library and at the Town Hall of Murs-Erigné until April 3rd.
- Training session for zoo-keepers : animating the puppet

Travelling exhibit at the Hotel des Penitentes, Downtown Angers. In partnership with the Leo Club and with the support of Townhall, Angers and the Association of Angers Shopkeepers. All proceeds will be donated to the pediatric building of the University Hospital of Angers, in order to renovate a room for play and recreation for hospitalized children suffering from serious diseases. From April 8th until April 23rd.

Jean Carmet Culturel Centre – Murs-Erigné : Marionette shows,
General audience and school shows
- More training sessions for zoo-keepers : animating the puppet and production – Doué la Fontaine

Workshops for children - Centre Bouëssé – Murs-Erigné

Adult wood-working workshops – Le Petit Flécher, La Pommeraye(workshops take place at our farm in the Loire valley)

World Festival of Puppet Theatres – Charleville-Mézières – Travelling exhibit – September 15th thru 24th(to be confirmed)
- Adult wood-working workshops – Le Petit Flécher, La Pommeraye – Let us know if you want to enroll in a session

Marionette shows, workshops and travelling exhibit – Festival Planète Jeux - Villenave d’Ornon(near Bordeaux)

Marionette shows, children’s workshops and travelling exhibit – Festival au Fil de l’Eau – Tiercé

Travelling exhibit, children’s workshops and children’s shows – Youth Festival, Le Puy en Velay