2020. What happened?
2020 was supposed to be a lot of things. My main goal was generate enough work (doing what we love, educating kids about health) that we could employ all the puppeteers full time. Lofty. But doable. When COVID hit, we had just set ourselves up for a nationwide tour of schools, had 4 shopping centers ready to sign LPO’s – we were gonna make
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The Variety Artist Podcast
Our Director in his most detailed interview to date about the creation and direction of Project HAND UP. The Variety Artist Podcast – March 1st, 2020
Pivots.
“It’s not the plan, it is the planning that will determine your success.” The baritoned voice of the DeSoto City councilman growled at me. This was early advice as Project HAND UP started down the path of being a real entity that existed in the world, and not merely a hyped up idea of an ambitious performing artist. So we adjusted the plan. The
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Custom Puppets As Fundraiser?
Why not? We have been very fortunate to work with custom puppet “engineers” here at Project HAND UP. They had designed and built our animal puppets when we first launched. When we began our charity in tandem with the project from the Rotary Club of DeSoto, the District Governor Elect of District 5810 came to visit our office. Now it must be noted that our DeSoto storage/office is
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In the studio and training the teams
It’s Saturday and I have stopped by our offices at Nyayo Stadium to take care of some business before we head back into the studio in the neighborhood of South B in Nairobi, Kenya. The Rotary Foundation grant that we are fulfilling right now includes providing equipment and training videos for young artists. It’s a task that is a little bit outside of the
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In Between Holidays
It’s hard to be away from Kenya RIGHT NOW. Galen and Nate are on vacation; road-tripping around Africa. The puppeteers have travelled to their relatives homes in the countryside of Kenya. I am visiting my folks in Washington state. It’s the holidays. We are supposed to take a few weeks off, right? Humf. I think we all agree that we can’t wait to get
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Thanksgiving in Paradise
It’s 10 minutes to midnight on Thanksgiving – and everyone on my Facebook feed is posting delicious pictures. What a week. I don’t care if you are the bird or the country, its not a good time to be “Turkey.” Unless you live here. Where turkeys, cranes, storks, vultures (one, at least) geese, guinea fowl, chickens, ducks, (i’m getting tired of naming birds), african
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What is Project HAND UP
What we do and how in 3 minutes or less.
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