The Brief

The aim of this project is to create a puppet of an extinct species - the Dodo - to highlight the importance of conservation and being considerate to other creatures on the planet. It is intended to be a roaming puppet most suitable for festivals, street events and other events with a large amount of both space and people. The puppeteer will use the puppet as a platform to invite people into discussion and reading leaflets about ethics and conservation, particularly relating to the food industry. The puppet will be created in such a way that it is playful and positive, whilst carrying a message with considerable moral weight. The puppet is to be articulated enough to have a good sense of liveliness to it and to create a strong illusion of life.
The story of the Dodo named 'Beef' is that he was engineered from a DNA sample from the long-lost extinct species and genetically modified to be as large as possible to be an easy source of meat. However, a visiting scientist - our Sophie - saw how wrong the situation was and stole him from the laboratory late at night. She now rides him through cities and fields spreading the message of compassion and conservation. This is a palatable way of encouraging young people to consider the morality of meat and the lives of the animals we choose to eat, with the aim of reducing pollution from animal agriculture and preventing vulnerable species like Tuna from being wiped out from overfishing.

The puppet will be covered in soft-touch textiles like fur to create a creature which is as pleasant to touch as it is to watch it performing. All of the materials used in making the puppet will be man-made as opposed to made from animal hides or bird's feathers, as it would be oxymoronic to be spreading the word about ethics whilst wearing an unethically-made puppet. Synthetic materials such as Mongolian faux fur will be used to create the illusion of soft, 'downy' feathers on the young Dodo.
 The puppeteer will wear the puppet on a harness which connects to the inside of the bird through a fake 'saddle', and will wear a pair of false legs which sit over the connection between the puppeteer and the puppet and give the illusion that the puppeteer, is, in fact, riding the Dodo. The puppeteer's real legs will sit inside of the feet of the bird, allowing the puppeteer to be in full control of all aspects of the puppet's movement.

The primary materials for the construction of the body of this puppet are a strong but lightweight PVC frame, and upholstery foam which covers this frame and gives a smooth roundness to the puppet's body, whilst still being durable, light and flexible. This will aid in the transport of the puppet as it will be able to be laid on its side in tight spaces. The feet of the puppet will be made out of carved upholstery foam with a lightweight sandal inner and a sturdy EVA foam sole. The head of the puppet will be initially sculpted out of water based clay in two halves on an MDF template, to then be vacuum formed and assembled. This head will have a hingeing jaw which is operated with a simple PVC spring on the inside of the head and a straightforward 'reins' control. The upper jaw of the head will be operated through the use of rigid 'reins' made from aluminium tube bent into a curve to give the appearance of a soft piece of fabric, when it in fact manipulates the head of the puppet from the pivot point at the top of the neck. The head will be connected to the neck with a thick cable tie that means it can be removed if necessary for transport or maintenance over time.

The foam shell of the body will be connected to the PVC frame through use of EVA foam 'pucks' which sit either side of the holes in the upholstery foam to stop it from warping and squashing under the pressure of the attachment. Cable ties will be used to secure the foam as a lightweight, strong and if required removable form of attachment. Glue would not be suitable for this process as the shell only directly contacts a small amount of the PVC frame, so the bond would be under a lot of pressure and would eventually cause the foam to rip. The wings of the puppet will be made out of one inch thick upholstery foam with EVA foam 'spines' which allow them to flap well, and they will be connected directly to the PVC frame of the puppet to ensure they remain stable and durable. The tail will be made out of half inch upholstery foam panels shaped into a ball which will also be connected to the PVC frame to allow 'wiggle'.