Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time.WATCH - Future of Puppetry: Where art, tech and social commentary meet
Puppets are also used as a powerful tool to raise awareness about world issues. In June, hundreds welcomed “Little Amal” to Toronto. Amal, a 3.6-metre puppet symbolizing a 10-year-old Syrian refugee, led a march through the downtown core as part of a global campaign. Little Amal was created by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, which made the award-winning puppets for the hit show. She requires four puppeteers at each visit, three to move her head and limbs and one to collect items people give her. A total of nine puppeteers will make the coast-to-coast trek in the U.S. with Little Amal.Little Amal walks around Grand Central Station in New York, on Sept. 15, 2022.
Henson is more than just an icon to puppeteers: he was a visionary. He made characters household names but was also committed to the art of puppetry worldwide. He helped to redefine the way puppets are made for TV and film, both in front of and behind the camera. “I’ve used for a lot of things. I’ve mostly used it for mechanisms because you can get really precise,” Hines said. He explained parts that would have been moulded, cast or carved can now be printed.
Though Carr’s fascination with puppetry began at a young age, he wanted to challenge the perception that it’s solely for children, echoing the late Henson himself.