Catapult Artist Intensive
The Catapult: For Artists of all Disciplines
The Catapult Artist Intensive returns with two professional development weekends designed to advance the form and expand understanding of the field of puppetry in the United States. Each weekend, artists of all disciplines are taken on a three-day, curated, guided experience of festival programming. Join an intimate cohort, escorted by a professional leader, for discussions, backstage access to the shows, and more. Each immersive weekend includes at least eight performances, with symposiums and local transportation. Registration is $595 per weekend, including some meals. Limited capacity. Scholarships available. No application required. Hotel is not included in the price, but a hotel discount is available at the Festival’s partner hotel with discount code.
Program Details
Ages: 18 and up
Who: Artists from any discipline and those seeking to deepen their puppetry experience
When:
Weekend 1
Friday, January 17, 2025 at around 2 pm through Sunday, January 19 at around 5 pm
Weekend 2
Friday, January 24, 2025 at around 2 pm through Sunday, January 26 at around 5 pm
Location & Transportation: Cohort travels together to venues throughout Chicago. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to/from airport as needed.
Cost: $595 ($297.50 deposit due upon registration, $297.50 remaining balance due before January 6, 2023)
To apply for a scholarship, submit a statement of interest and need to info@chicagopuppetfest.org. Please specify if you identify as BIPOC as well as which session you would like to attend.
Lodging: Hotel discount code available to participants so they can get a low rate which they book and pay for themselves. For more information please email info@chicagopuppetfest.org
Please Note: This program requires a good amount of travel from place to place, including stepping up into a passenger van and walking place to place. If you have accessibility or mobility needs, please reach out to us at info@chicagopuppetfest.org to discuss how we can accommodate and support your participation.
Session I Schedule
Friday, January 17, 2025 at around 1 pm through Sunday, January 19 at around 5 pm
Session 1 schedule and leader to be announced.
Session II Schedule
Friday, January 24, 2025 at around 2 pm through Sunday, January 26 at around 5 pm
Session 2 schedule and leader to be announced.
Lead Artists
Samuel J. Lewis, II
Sam Lewis is an actor, poet, vocalist, and recently a puppeteer. He calls himself an accidental puppeteer because, in the early 2000s, he came across a vintage Black Americana marionette in an attic, which started him on an unexpected puppetry journey. Sam explores racial issues and negative iconography with that marionette, whom he renamed Jus Hambone.
In late 2018, Sam learned of an incredible family history that has taken him back over 200 years. That revelation redirected his practice. He commissioned the creation of puppets to unpack these histories. Since then, he has been workshopping new work in a fulfilling collaboration with his two sons while continuing his family research, writing a collection of stories for a full-length puppetry and performance piece titled Finding My Place.
