The Spider’s Thread

Applicant: Aya Nakamura
Award: £1000
Field: Arts
Support for: online workshops and materials
Project:
The Spider’s Thread is a filmed paper theatre piece (also known as toy/model theatre) based on a short story by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, created by Puppeteer and Theatre Maker, Aya Nakamura. It is a hybridisation of the Japanese tradition of Kamishibai with the Western approach of toy theatre.
The short film was distributed online, and Aya held a series of online workshops and a talk event for audiences of varying ages and backgrounds. This worked to present the art form of the ‘Kamishibai’ to a wider audience, as well as the work of Akutagawa alongside some of Hokusai’s lesser known pieces from his sketch collection books Hokusai Manga.
The Spider’s Thread will be available to enjoy by everyone who has access to the internet for an indefinite period of time.
For more information, visit Aya Nakamura's website.

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