BLACK HILLS ARTISTS RECEIVE SDAC ARTS COLLABORATION GRANT
Two local artists have received a $6000 Artist Collaboration Grant from the South Dakota Arts Council. Eric Hedlund and Leonard Running combine their experience in an hour-length production featuring movement theatre, music, storytelling and puppetry. Coming this May, the musical critters of the “Bug City Music Festival” will be invading the Black Hills.
In Spring 2012, Hedlund and Running were in the back yard drinking coffee and eating sandwiches and talking about storytelling. When an ant skittered into the conversation, the process of creating “Bug City Music Festival” began. Hedlund (26) with his film and media studies degree from UC Santa Barbara and Running (65) with his 40 some years of experience in puppetry, theatre and music applied for and received the Artist Collaboration grant.
“There are bugs in it,” says Running, “but it’s not about bugs. It has puppets, but it’s not a puppet show. "
The puppets are big and maybe a little scary: a six-foot tall grasshopper and spider, a three-foot long ant, an immense worm. Leonard has been making puppets and working on a soundtrack in Rapid City; Eric has been crafting the script while being in residence for a New Hampshire music theater production. Twice a week they confer by phone and email to expand the script and design puppets and set.
"We're making something as esoteric as nature and narrative entertaining, dang it." says Running.
"This show is going to stick in people’s heads like an earwig," says Hedlund, "With the possible side effect of making them think."
In Spring 2012, Hedlund and Running were in the back yard drinking coffee and eating sandwiches and talking about storytelling. When an ant skittered into the conversation, the process of creating “Bug City Music Festival” began. Hedlund (26) with his film and media studies degree from UC Santa Barbara and Running (65) with his 40 some years of experience in puppetry, theatre and music applied for and received the Artist Collaboration grant.
“There are bugs in it,” says Running, “but it’s not about bugs. It has puppets, but it’s not a puppet show. "
The puppets are big and maybe a little scary: a six-foot tall grasshopper and spider, a three-foot long ant, an immense worm. Leonard has been making puppets and working on a soundtrack in Rapid City; Eric has been crafting the script while being in residence for a New Hampshire music theater production. Twice a week they confer by phone and email to expand the script and design puppets and set.
"We're making something as esoteric as nature and narrative entertaining, dang it." says Running.
"This show is going to stick in people’s heads like an earwig," says Hedlund, "With the possible side effect of making them think."