The sentient spoon as broken puppet: celebrating otherness with performing objects

Matt Smith

doi:10.1386/jaah_00017_1

The sentient spoon as broken puppet: celebrating otherness with performing objects

Matt Smith

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

186 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Exploring speculations about new materialism and performance, this article discusses how we (re)consider the ‘puppet other’ as a subject in community performance, focusing particularly on work with youth who have severe and complex learning difficulties. The discussion of this project explores the ethics and politics of practice in applied puppetry (Smith 2014) through reflections about the use of performing objects in relation to specific communities and identities. The method employed in this article is to explore the world of objects in practice, using the ideas of object-oriented ontology. This viewpoint explores poetic processes and speculations about the inner reality of objects, in relation to human participants. This exploration of the materiality of objects is framed in reaction to the way power operates, specifically through the Foucauldian lens of biopower.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	49-58
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Applied Arts & Health
Volume	11
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1386/jaah_00017_1
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2020

Keywords

puppetry
disability
materiality

Access to Document

10.1386/jaah_00017_1

The sentient spoon
© Matt Smith 2020. The definitive, peer reviewed and edited version of this article is published in Journal of Applied Arts & Health, 11(1-2), pp.49-58, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1386/jaah_00017_1.
Accepted author manuscript (Post-print), 365 KB

3 Citations
1 Conference contribution
1 Chapter (peer-reviewed)
1 Editorial

Applied puppetry – principles and practices
Smith, M., 11 Mar 2022, Applied Puppetry in Education, Development, and Therapy: Theory and Practice. Kroflin, L. (ed.). UNIMA Education, Development and Therapy Commission, p. 13-28 16 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Open Access
Applied puppetry: communities, identities, transgressions
Purcell-Gates, L. & Smith, M., 1 Jul 2020, In: Applied Theatre Research. 8, 1, p. 3-11 9 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review

Open Access
Hand to hand: the dynamic situation of applied puppetry
Smith, M., 11 Jun 2018, Dolls and puppets: contemporaneity and tradition. Kopania, K. (ed.). The Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw, p. 40-45 5 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Open Access

1 Participation in workshop, seminar, course
1 Editorial activity
1 Oral presentation

Applied Theatre Research (Journal)
Matt Smith (Guest editor) & Laura Purcell-Gates (Guest editor)
Jan 2020 → Jul 2020
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial activity
Presentation to the 2018 Broken Puppet conference
Matt Smith (Speaker)
14 Apr 2018
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
How plastics talk about plastics
Matt Smith (Organiser), Ben Macpherson (Participant) & Oualid Benkhaled (Participant)
1 Dec 2017
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Cite this

@article{f5c668396e1a41f9852cbf66bf649b83,

title = "The sentient spoon as broken puppet: celebrating otherness with performing objects",

abstract = "Exploring speculations about new materialism and performance, this article discusses how we (re)consider the {\textquoteleft}puppet other{\textquoteright} as a subject in community performance, focusing particularly on work with youth who have severe and complex learning difficulties. The discussion of this project explores the ethics and politics of practice in applied puppetry (Smith 2014) through reflections about the use of performing objects in relation to specific communities and identities. The method employed in this article is to explore the world of objects in practice, using the ideas of object-oriented ontology. This viewpoint explores poetic processes and speculations about the inner reality of objects, in relation to human participants. This exploration of the materiality of objects is framed in reaction to the way power operates, specifically through the Foucauldian lens of biopower.",

keywords = "puppetry, disability, materiality",

author = "Matt Smith",

year = "2020",

month = jul,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1386/jaah_00017_1",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

pages = "49--58",

journal = "Journal of Applied Arts & Health",

issn = "2040-2465",

publisher = "Intellect Ltd",

number = "1-2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The sentient spoon as broken puppet: celebrating otherness with performing objects

AU - Smith, Matt

PY - 2020/7/1

Y1 - 2020/7/1

N2 - Exploring speculations about new materialism and performance, this article discusses how we (re)consider the ‘puppet other’ as a subject in community performance, focusing particularly on work with youth who have severe and complex learning difficulties. The discussion of this project explores the ethics and politics of practice in applied puppetry (Smith 2014) through reflections about the use of performing objects in relation to specific communities and identities. The method employed in this article is to explore the world of objects in practice, using the ideas of object-oriented ontology. This viewpoint explores poetic processes and speculations about the inner reality of objects, in relation to human participants. This exploration of the materiality of objects is framed in reaction to the way power operates, specifically through the Foucauldian lens of biopower.

AB - Exploring speculations about new materialism and performance, this article discusses how we (re)consider the ‘puppet other’ as a subject in community performance, focusing particularly on work with youth who have severe and complex learning difficulties. The discussion of this project explores the ethics and politics of practice in applied puppetry (Smith 2014) through reflections about the use of performing objects in relation to specific communities and identities. The method employed in this article is to explore the world of objects in practice, using the ideas of object-oriented ontology. This viewpoint explores poetic processes and speculations about the inner reality of objects, in relation to human participants. This exploration of the materiality of objects is framed in reaction to the way power operates, specifically through the Foucauldian lens of biopower.

KW - puppetry

KW - disability

KW - materiality

U2 - 10.1386/jaah_00017_1

DO - 10.1386/jaah_00017_1

M3 - Article

SN - 2040-2465

VL - 11

SP - 49

EP - 58

JO - Journal of Applied Arts & Health

JF - Journal of Applied Arts & Health

IS - 1-2

ER -

The sentient spoon as broken puppet: celebrating otherness with performing objects

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Research output

Applied puppetry – principles and practices

Applied puppetry: communities, identities, transgressions

Hand to hand: the dynamic situation of applied puppetry

Activities

Applied Theatre Research (Journal)

Presentation to the 2018 Broken Puppet conference

How plastics talk about plastics

Cite this