Educational Background/Training

• Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Arts Integration with a minor in Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University, 2021, graduated magna cum laude
• Social Emotional Arts (SEA) training through the Arts and Healing Initiative (2024)
• The National Puppetry Conference at the Eugene O’Neill School of Theatre, 2011 and 2013
• Apprenticeship with Handemonium Puppets (1994-1996)

About the Artist/Ensemble

Puppetry Artist, Heidi Rugg, is a maker of puppets and theatrical works. She takes the lead in all community outreach and educational programming for Barefoot Puppet Theatre, the touring company she founded in 1997 that performs for youth and family audiences.

Rugg is passionate about the possibilities within the art of puppetry to bring 21st Century Skills into the learning environment. At its heart, puppetry is an integrated, rigorous, and interdisciplinary art form that demands clarity of thought through a written script, a comfortable familiarity with trial and error, and a deep trust in the human capacity for creativity. As a guide, Rugg dives fearlessly into the turbulent waters of arts integration and gently steers students and educators through swirling eddies of collaboration and creativity.

A teaching artist for over 20 years, Rugg has worked with all ages leading workshops in eco-arts, puppet building, and puppet manipulation. She has extensive expertise in fiber arts (especially feltmaking), papier-mâché, puppet mechanisms, design, prototyping, and creative processes. As a teaching artist working with schools, she has extensive experience with arts integration and is passionate about the boundless possibilities to joyfully integrate puppetry into all aspects of learning.

Educational Program Description

Puppetry exists at the crossroads of theatre and visual arts. As an interdisciplinary art form, puppetry programs are highly adaptable and have the flexibility to encompass research, writing, design, planning, engineering, building, and performance. Barefoot Puppet Theatre’s programs receive enthusiastic reviews from children, educators, and parents. We are accustomed to tailoring our programming to dovetail with your needs. Our current offerings include, but are not limited to:

• Puppet Making Sessions: We have a variety of ways to make puppets with easily obtained materials. “Emoji Puppets” and “Instant Puppets” are accessible to even the youngest of children! These sessions can be customized to include a focus on puppet mechanisms, prototyping (great for upper elementary and middle school!), and a variety of other processes. (Adaptable to most ages)

• Puppetry 101: Thinking Outside the Socks – Our most popular program! In this customizable workshop, we introduce the five basic types of puppets (hand, rod, shadow, marionette, and object). Puppeteers demonstrate the different types of puppets and guide participants in basic puppet manipulation. A dash of history, a handful of contemporary examples in movies/television, and a pinch of geography round out this interactive experience. (Adaptable to all ages.)

• Underwater Shadow Puppetry: Explore the ocean depths through the art of shadow puppetry! Using simple, everyday materials, we will craft shadow puppets of underwater creatures for use on a traditional shadow screen or an overhead projector. We create scenes centered on specific ocean ecosystems and habitats to better connect to the these underwater worlds. (Adaptable to all ages.)

• Sew What?: Participants will learn up to three different hand stitches as we create simple animal hand puppets from wool/felt fabrics. Hand-sewing is a great skill to develop and improves hand-dexterity, to. (Recommended for ages 7 and up; great for a parent/child workshop, too.)

• Talk to the Hand: A Puppet Manipulation Workshop: We will explore puppetry manipulation techniques with attention to stage directions, lip synching, and body positioning for both television and stage. Participants will learn about the two main types of puppets and simple ways to replicate rehearsing and developing skills.  (Ages 8 and up)

• Wild & Woolly: An arts integration residency focused on working with wool fibers using either needle-felting or wet-felting techniques. . Participants will understand the science and history of wool as they work to manipulate fibers using methods like those of our ancient ancestors as they crafted the first textiles. By combining ancient techniques with modern twists, participants will transform fluffy wool fibers into solid forms. (Recommended for Ages 10-Adult.)
• Professional Development for Teachers, Parents, and Librarians: Customized for various ages and subject areas. 

More options available. We welcome inquiries on customized programming.

Fees

Workshops: $300-$500, depending on scope/workshop length (pricing discounts given to multiple workshops on a single day and/or when booked in conjunction with a puppet performance)

Multi-Day Residencies: please inquire (typically $2000-3000 per week)

Fees do not include travel expenses. All fees negotiable with consideration to the community and the scope of the work.

Audiences

• All Ages
• Preschool
• Elementary Students
• Secondary (Middle/High School) Students
• Adults