See a couple of work in progress videos here
Welcome to the mesmerising world of The Noughty One. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of a hybrid world driven by technology and crafted with puppetry techniques. Get up close to the action:
Who is in control and who is being manipulated?
Is this replication or creation?
What exactly IS the story here?
The Noughty One is the latest creation from Noisy Oyster, a multi award-winning, international puppet theatre company. This installation fuses puppetry, automata, and robotics with 3D printing manufacture to explore our relationship with technology and the mercurial nature of the human world.
The Noughty One started as an idea during Lockdown. With the usual schedule of touring and performing stopped overnight, we started to think about other projects and ideas. Nik was interested in how traditional marionette making could be developed with 3D printing, and how coding and automating principles inherent in 3D printing and robotics might be made more comprehensible using puppetry. How could all these different principles, ideas and skills learn from each other?
From these questions and many, many discussions The Noughty One was born.
Nik Palmer & Sarah Rowland Barker - Co-directors of Noisy Oyster Nik and Sarah are the key creative team on this project, based on an original idea from Nik. Nik is the main designer and maker for this project, using his skills and knowledge in 3D printing and traditional puppetry craft to design and create the installation. You can find out more about Nik's other 3D printing projects here Sarah is designing and making the costumes for the different characters within the installation. She is also bringing her dance knowledge into the project to advise and support Nik on developing the automated movement.
Upfront Gallery and Arts Venue
- Noisy Oyster were artists in residence at Upfront Gallery and Arts Venue in 2021. They used this time to develop many of the elements of The Noughty One. The Nought One will be installed at Upfront later in 2022 as part of an exciting new puppetry exhibition, prior to touring.
Noisy Oyster are also working with guidance and consultation from:
Nicholas Willsher - Robotics Consultant - Nick is a freelance fabricator and creative technologist based in Bristol. His practice explores the anthropomorphisation of objects: in software, puppetry and robotics.
Dr Ivan Damnjanovic - Coding Consultant - Ivan is multimedia researcher and software engineer with over
eighteen years of experience. He is supporting Nik in developing the coding for the puppetry movement.
Rachel McNally - Co-Producer - Rachel was previously Executive Producer at Puppet Place is a co-producer of Bristol Festival of Puppetry. She is now a freelance creative producer.
Stephan Mottram - Artistic Mentor - Stephen is a highly respected performer/sculptor/artist working with puppetry and automata. He has toured internationally and supports Nik in developing the theatrical and dramatic elements of the installation.
Tim Hunkin - Artistic Mentor - Tim is an engineer and cartoonist. He brings his expertise as a maker of automata to The Noughty One.
