PR E PA R ATORY S C HO OL
Puppets take centre stage at Dookoorniny Concert
Following the success of the 2017 Dookoorniny project, all Year 5 and 6 students had the opportunity to participate in the
2018 project, creating an amazing musical puppet show with some larger than life puppets, set on the banks of the Swan River.
The students, led by the Year 5 and
6 teachers, our Indigenous Program
Coordinator, staff from the music and art
departments and visiting artists had three
days to plan, create and perform a set of
stories based on the theme of creation.
On day 1 the team gathered in the
Foundation Pavilion for a project briefing
before splitting into class groups and working
on the different aspects of the project. These
included; dance and movement, puppet
making, music composition, advertising and
marketing and stage management. The
students were responsible for all aspects of
the performance, from start to finish.
On day 2 the groups continued to work
in their class groups, working through the
program and choosing the areas of the
project they wanted to be involved with.
On day 3, the final day of the project,
the students worked together to finalise
everything in preparation for the family
concert at the Boat Shed, on the banks of
the Swan River. Rehearsals started after
lunch, while the stage crew set up the
staging and prepared the site for the concert.
By 5.30pm all students were backstage and
ready for the show to start at 6.00pm.
The 2018 Dookoorniny Concert was nothing
short of spectacular, with musicians from
the West Australian Symphony Orchestra
performing the students’ compositions, while
an amazing puppet show unfolded on the
banks of the Swan River, on a perfect spring
evening. We wish to thank all of the visiting
artists who helped our students to create and
perform this beautiful concert.
From our students
Puppeteering
The group that I chose to be involved in was
puppeteering, led by Karen and Lisa. We
worked on the puppets from Term 3 until
the final night. They were mainly made out
of bamboo sticks, wires and fabric, but they
also had other little accessories. The puppet
crew consisted of a Yonga (Kangaroo), Waich
(Emu) and the Walich (Eagle). There were
also 30 corellas, a small girl puppet, and an
old grandmother puppet.
I was lucky enough to be inside the Yonga
and controlled the puppet during the show.
It sat on my back like a giant backpack. There
was a string that I pulled to make the head
of the Yonga nod, and I could pull the Yonga
down so that it looked like it was eating on
the ground. I had two other people on my
sides controlling the legs so it looked like
it was bouncing, and I also had two other
people to help me make sure that I didn’t
crash into anything!
The Waich had a super long neck that
was controlled by Daniel. The neck was
very bendy and it could bend down to the
ground. The Waich was HUGE! It took six
people to hold it up and it had a wingspan of
roughly six metres!
Puppeteering was an AMAZING experience
and I would definitely do it again!
Emma Pittman
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