Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers: Work-in-Progress Presentations & Artist Talk (Virtual)
April 13, 2025 | 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Great news! Puppet Showplace Theater is hosting an online event that you won’t want to miss.
Great news! Puppet Showplace Theater is hosting an online event that you won’t want to miss.
Event Details:
Date & Time:
April 13, 2025 (Sunday)
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm (Eastern Time)
This virtual event will feature a glimpse into the creative process of five talented Black puppeteers, who will share works-in-progress they've been developing during the Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers. The residency has been a six-month, Zoom-based opportunity that connects creators from across the country to build community and support.
RSVP to receive the Zoom link! You can also make a donation to help support Black puppeteers and their creative work.
Meet the Cohort:
William PK Carter (Central Valley, NY)
Project: “Something Must Give — And It Will Not Be Me”ChelseaDee Harrison (Washington, DC)
Project: “Sheela and the Amazons”Fatima Seck (Boston, MA)
Project: “My Name is Harriet”Brett Swinney (Chicago, IL)
Project: “Black Guy AI”Khaleshia Thorpe-Price (Maryland)
Project: “Imagine and Play Storytime: The Spider and the Crocodile”
This event is recommended for adults and teens interested in the arts, storytelling, and innovative puppetry.
About the Program:
The Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers, launched in 2020, supports Black artists by offering space and resources to develop new work while fostering a supportive community. This year’s program has expanded to better support the artists in creating new narratives and amplifying diverse voices in the puppetry world.
Stay tuned for more updates on the final sharing event in June 2025!
Meet the Cohort
William PK Carter
Central Valley, NY
Project: “Something Must Give — And It Will Not Be Me”
As an interdisciplinary artist with intersectional identities, William PK Carter creates work that exists between mediums and social norms. They use the wonder and whimsy of fibers and puppetry to connect with other queer people of colour who choose to let their imagination run wild. Working with assorted fabrics, yarn, paint, paper mache, and other craft supplies that were native to their childhood school desk, they weave all aspects of their identity into their work. At its core, their art is a collection of love letters to their younger self. With every piece that they make, they allow little William to express himself authentically.
Follow William on Instagram.
ChelseaDee Harrison
Washington, DC
Project: “Sheela and the Amazons”
ChelseaDee Harrison is a theater-maker, “artivist”, teaching artist, and public arts engagement specialist. She has developed and facilitated community-based arts workshops with a variety of institutions. She is a 2024 TYA/USA Emerging Leader Fellow as well as a 2024 Arts and Humanities Fellow with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. She is also the executive producer, writer, and host of the warrior queen podcast, Vanguard of the Viragoes. Her inspiration is crafting multi-platform public engagement experiences that highlight history, challenge dominant narratives and ensure that art is a tool in the hands of the people.
Follow ChelseaDee on Instagram.
Fatima Seck
Boston, MA
Project: “My Name is Harriet”'
Fatima Seck is an artist, writer & teacher creating books and arts-based community experiences on Black women & children's history; and the intersection of art and health. Her women & children centred work has been supported by various organizations including Mount Auburn Cemetery, INCITE, City of Cambridge's Art for Social Justice and more. She's creating a children's book on the childhood of Harriet Jacobs' using natural inks, which she'll be animating through the Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers.
Brett Swinney
Chicago, IL
Project: “Black Guy AI”
Brett Swinney is an artist and arts administrator with a rich history in Chicago's cultural scene. He currently serves as the Cultural Affairs Coordinator for the Public Art Department at the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). Brett holds an M.A. in Arts Administration & Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a B.A. in Photography from Columbia College Chicago. He continues to expand his artistic practice as a 2023-24 Chicago Puppet Lab Cohort Member and a Lead artist for Rough House Theatre's "House of the Exquisite Corpse IV: Superstition" in 2024.
Follow Brett on Instagram.
Khaleshia Thorpe-Price
Maryland
Project: “Imagine and Play Storytime: The Spider and the Crocodile”
Khaleshia Thorpe-Price is the owner and lead teaching artist at Dramatic Play LLC. She is an Imagination Cultivator, Creative Collaborator, and Community Builder. Khaleshia is a versatile creator, educator, and administrator who aims to dazzle participants with the art of play, creative exploration, and ensemble building. She has worked in arts education for over twenty years. Khaleshia is a roster artist for the Maryland State Arts Council, Virginia Commission of the Arts, and Lifetime Arts. Khaleshia holds a BA in Theater Arts from Morgan State University and an MA in Arts Management from the University of Central Florida.