Welcometo kneeHIGH
kneeHIGH is a spectacle theatre company touring multi-arts productions nationally and internationally. We create outdoor spectacle theatre using giant puppets, fire and inflatables. We also create performance components, whole events and/or work with communities to support their event making.
Giant Puppets
When we say giant we mean GIANT. Up to 4 metres high and using our unique articulated stilt system, these colossal characters can perform as the characters listed or be designed especially for your event.
Roaming Puppets
Create a spectacle at your function, event or festival with our roving giant puppet characters that interact with your audience in new and interesting ways.
Androids
The Android Sisters have performed all over Australia and in 13 countries to an estimated audience of over 500,000 people. With each puppet 2.5 to 3.5 metres high and equipped with over 100 L.E.DÕs, light chasing circuits and a battery pack, they make a great night time attraction.
Power walkers
You know you want to be fitter more flexible. Our giant couple and their life coaches show you how.
The Gardener
The Gardener was developed to spread the word about individual contribution to the environment. He is an interactive giant who loves nature. Watch, learn and join in as The Gardener rakes leaves, makes compost and waters plants.
The Cone People
These abstract characters from another land are interested in everything you do, even though they may have their own opinions about it. A colourful complimentary couture assessment of your gathering from on high.
Two Blind Mice... Woof
Coming soon, in fact coming this November! Make your event a real ÔmouseÕ party with these celebrity cheese appreciation gurus. Direct from the best TV kitchens, they even come with their own securityÉ woof!
Giant Customising
Your Giant: YouÕre not going to get that media attention without a giant in your midst. We have redressed our giants as high court judges, football coaches, pirates, gods and corporate executives. You name it we do it.
Puppet Shows
Distinct from roaming, these are scripted performances that can perform in a promenade environment or for a sit down audience.
Professor
Our white coated expert (and his assistant) is here to show you the latest in large labour saving robotic personalities. He is totally in control. Isn't he?
Fire
Light up the night with pyro pictures and performances that will turn your event into an awe inspiring spectacle. Murals and images or routines and shows which work on land or on water.
Fire Murals
Choose from up to 12 standard designs or commission a transfixing design for your product/company launch, themed festival, corporate function or wedding. Combined with music they are truly spellbinding.
Fire Puppets
Combining the performance of puppetry and the spectacle of fire, burning man and walking dog create a mesmerising effect.
Fire Shows
Uniting the spectacle of fire puppets with performance narrative, these are ideal for event opening and closing ceremonies or as part of a larger production. Talk to us today.
Inflatables
Inflatable and interactive art for your function. Hang them from the ceiling or light them from inside, these light, portable and dazzling designs have been used all over Australia as either installed features or walking along within your parade.
Creatures for hire
Dynamic, visually captivating and enormous. Many designs available including echidna, leafy sea dragon and things that are just plain strange. Ideal for a fixed location or as part of a parade. Hire a single creature or ask us about how we can create and inflatable world for your event.
Bubble City
An inspired interactive play space for children. Originally commissioned for the Adelaide Fringe Festival, these three giant inflatable cones connected by crawl-tubes that kids just love. Tested, tried and approved by over 5000 kids.
Commissions & Workshops
As with all our art, you can invent, design and create your own inflatables. Follow the links to find out how.
See Commissions, Workshops
Workshops
Make your own puppets, musical instrument, giant float or inflatable creature then use them in a parade. Developed specifically for Community Arts Development (CAD) projects and instructed by kneeHIGH artists, these workshops are ideal for young participants of any ability and those young at heart.
What
We have a respected history, designing and running workshops for all levels of ability in metropolitan, regional, interstate and international contexts.
Community Residencies
We have run workshops that support events in many country areas in SA and interstate. We can assist your community to get funding from State Arts authorities and festivals Australia for a residency.
Schools
We can offer workshops from a double lesson through to multi week residencies. Contact us for curriculum relevant workshops in society and environment, science and literacy. kneeHIGH is a member of PLAYFULL the SA government umbrella for performance in schools.
Professional Development
Prof development days for with your artists / event managers. Or as a diversion during other training.
Which Media
From the simple to the intricate, choose from simple sock puppets, shadow puppets or marionettes and including story development and staging.
Puppetry
Simple sock puppets, shadow puppets and marionettes youÕd be surprised at the variety of materials that can be used to make your own puppet; see our speculum duck! Story development and staging.
Musical instruments
Individual instruments or installations with thongaphones, tubular bells, tuned strings and wheelie bin bass drums. Great for parades.
InflatableÕs
How to make permanent (sewn) or temporary (taped) inflatables as creatures or spaces for exploring.
Cane n paper , parades Ð floats
Simple large scale papier mache from kids masks up to large scale parade floats.
Fire murals
We will work with your group to design, construct and ceremoniously ignite the fire mural.
Stiltwalking
We run stiltwalking sessions for your group (from 10years) through to preparation for a parade. We can also supply patterns for stilt and stilt pants.
Eco tower workshops
Our two eco mechanics install our 7 m high eco gadget tower as a landmark at outdoor events. The zany characters run the towers gizmos and give workshops. Try bicycling to create electricity for the TV or smoothie machine.
See tower installaion<
Installations
Large outdoor or indoor installations to create a visual exhibition and interactive delight. Environmental sculpture, inflatables, aerial balloons, and the eco tower.
Whispering elves
A series of three 1m high twig and leaf covered domes. From within these "elf hutches" you can hear them whispering and see their flashing glowing eyes. Fascinating and puzzling.
Weather balloons
For something really dynamic, you can create patterns of 80cm coloured helium balloons that can be arranged in the sky to a height of up to 30 metres and will be visible up to 3 km from your event.
Inflatable city
We can install multiple large inflatable creatures to create worlds of impressive and interactive spectacle.
The Great Balloon Cannon
Imagine a 8 metre high inflatable worm that fires balloons, as fast as you can feed it. Great interactive fun for kids at any park event.
Eco tower
The Tower was commissioned for ComeOut 2005 and is inspired by 17th C European town square mechanical clock towers with rotating figures and music. It is a 7m high landmark for your festival, a multi arts installation in which participants learn about how energy works by activating kinetic and musical sculptures driven by wind, water, electricity and mechanical energy, all generated within the installation.
Eventmaking and design
We work with you to design an interactive space for your event. We have performed and created customised spectacles for Weddings Corporate launches Exhibitions Parades Outdoor events and Festivals. Components can include...
Fire murals
Fire murals are an effective finale and sunset focal point.
Flag n poles / banners
Flags & Banners Ð at up to 7m high these colourful banners in an array of styles make for a striking accompaniment to your festival or event location. Uses include defining performance space, marking paths or just dynamic decoration on a large scale. Talk to us about your needs.
Inflatables
Choose form our established collection or talk to us about making something unique to your event.
Consultation and advice
Contact us or request a kneehigh imagineer to visit you anywhere to advise on outdoor event and parade logistics and help prepare a plan and logistics and advise funding sources to help an initial idea become an annual sensation. We have experience on land, on sea and in the air...
Commissions
Got an idea for creating parades, giants, installations and performances for your company or festive event? kneeHIGH can construct a unique component that makes your function memorable.
Theme customising / consulting / parades
For event producers and festivals. We love a creative challenge. kneeHIGH create project commissions for special events and festivals. We can design new inflatableÕs, puppets and performances, or reconstruct our existing puppets for specific events, parades and outdoor celebrations.
Talk to us about how we can make what we have work for you. Existing puppet frames in dressed in your design of costume and other ways of using what we have are a cheap alternative to original commissioned pieces.
Who We Are
kneeHIGH is South AustraliaÕs only spectacle theatre company and one of AustraliaÕs premiere giant puppet companies. Our work has been seen by millions of people all around the world and we continue to strive for excellence in theatre for non-traditional spaces and community based creativity.
The Company
Kneehigh are performers and makers
Our artists and performers have unique skills in giant puppet and parade image production, electronics, lighting, pyrotechnics, fabric, inflatableÕs design and fabrication. We have created events, in cities, on water, on buildings, trucks, in the natural environment and occasionally in theatre spaces. Based in Adelaide, Australia, we have performed in 18 countries and have performed and run projects in most Australian states since our founding in 1995. Over the years kneeHIGH has developed many exclusive designs for fire murals, aerial performance and stilt walking. Our highly skilled designers and fabricators work from our workshop in Marden, South Australia and are available to work with you on your project. Contact us on how we can develop and construct unique articulated stilts, electronics, inflatable creatures or other performance technologies for your theatre production or event.
Team
Tony Hannan
Artistic Director
Tony has been an innovator in Australian community arts and street theatre in Brisbane and Adelaide for over 30 years. Tony is a skilled designer, director, props maker and producer of outdoor spectacle He has engineered newdevelopments in stilt design, animated fire puppets and inflatable construction. He is the founder of Cirkidz, Adelaide's youth circus school performing troupe and in 1995 founded Kneehigh. He is influenced by work with Sue Gill and John Fox of Welfare State and Peter Schumann of Bread and Puppet.
Mark Timberlake
Production manager
ÊMark is a performer, musician, puppet maker and creative designer/engineer. A refugee of North Adelaide School Of Art. Mark started his artistic career as a potter/sculptor with his feet firmly into performance and music. He joined his skills together as a musician, performer and visual artist to perform and set design with such groups and shows as ÒEarth CircusÓ, Ò BelieveÓ(outdoor fringe show) , ÒTroll MusicÓ, Compost KidsÓ. kneeHIGH was a natural transition for Mark to blend artistic, performance and technical skills and has run regional workshops, national performance tours and led the K.H. team overseas to Japan and Korea. Mark has been an artist /designer for the Adelaide Fringe parade for the last four years. As well as many other things!
Stephen Noonan
Performance collaborator
Stephen Noonan is a performance maker. He works across the fields of puppetry, dance, theatre and circus. He has worked with KneeHigh in a variety of roles including performing and teaching. He has performed in Australia, throughout Asia, Europe and America. He has taught at art institutions in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Sweden.
Indigo Eli
Poet Textiles Overalls-Enthusiast
Indigo managed to infiltrate the core of the kneeHIGH team after passionately participating in a womenÕs street-theatre project facilitated by the company. Her work at kneeHIGH now includes stilt performances, costume design, workshop facilitation, conceptual design and constructions of puppets, installations, wise-cracks and baked goods.
News
Recently launched community menu of workshops & installations
9 October 2010
These are pre-packaged collections of what kneeHIGH does best for small to medium community events. They include workshops, roving puppets and inflatable art. Contact us now for a new flier.
Puppets Go West
9 October 2010
Walgett NSW. Recently company members StephenÊNoonan and Mark Timberlake toured the regional NSW town of Walgett.ÊThey spent a week doing workshops with the local students and creating some masterful giant puppets that were used in a street parade.
Coming Soon
9 October 2010
New roving routine, 'The Mice'
The Tower
9 October, 2010
Recently kneeHIGH secured funding from Conservation SAÊfor the development of 'The Tower', an interactive and transportable installation art work that promotes the values of renewable energy.Ê
Interactive Art
9 October, 2010
KneeHIGH has also recently secured a commissionÊfrom the Onkaparinga Council to create an interactive mural for the Aberfoyle Park Library. This shows that the skills and talents of our creative visual art team can be used in a wide range of applications.Ê
If you are interested in sourcing talent artists who can turn their skills to almost any art project, then call us today on +61 (8) 8363 7055.
New Website
27 April, 2010
You may have noticed that you are looking at the new website. Developed by the artists at MANGO CHUTNEY we are proud to show off our new one-stop shop for all things kneeHIGH. Look around and see what you think!
Mice
23 April, 2010
Coming to a kitchen near you, these mousey characters are the direct result of scavenging genetically modified scraps from the worldÕs finest TV show restaurants. Invite them round to your party for a culinary expose. Available for the Christmas party season in 2010, book now!
Latest / testimonials / media
20 April, 2010
ÒWe were extremely happy with the results. The director was thrilled to light the fire mural, had never seen anything like it.Ó Ð SA Museum
ÒI wanted to write and thank you and the Android Sisters for a wonderful performance on Friday night. From what I saw the punters reacted really well to the Androids, I saw a number of people posing for photos and some even dancing with them on the dance floor. A number of people commented to me that they thought they were fantastic so overall we were really happy with the way things went. So a big thanks to the excellent puppeteers for their great work and also being very friendly and easy to work with on the night.Ó Ð SA Art Gallery
ÒKneehigh Puppeteers...Whether in close proximity or holding centre stage in a football stadium the intimacy of the experience of shared communication between puppet and audience continues to keep the excitement real.Ó Ð Peter Wilson in ÒThe Space BetweenÓ
Gallery
Have a look at some of the collected works we have created over the years. Book something you like or use it as inspiration for your own unique design.
Videos
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Contact details
PO BOX 654 MARDEN SA, Australia5070
1a Broad St MARDEN SA, Australia 5070
Phone +61 (8)8363 7055
Fax +61 (8)8363 7077
Skype: kneehighgiants
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