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What is Maniacal Works?
Maniacal Works was created with the hope that it will grow into a place where artists can meet each other, share their work, get inspired, and have a common playground to collaborate in and make new work.
MW was launched into being by three of us - Jamie, Ellie, and Mindy. Together we combined our creative capabilities and really just started... playing. We've managed to bring acting, dancing, puppetry, painting, cooking, sculpting, drawing, music, and all around craftsmanship into our daily routines.
What we do cannot be turned into a formula – what we do is visceral, genuine, maniacal. We exist to explore, to redefine, to materialize and dematerialize, to get our hands dirty.
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Once upon a time there was a piece of fabric with big dreams. Once upon a time there were a group of artists with lots of fabric. (And cardboard.)
They came together. And Da Puppets were born.
Soon we began posting videos of Da Puppets on www.maniacalworks.com
Now, the apartment has become too small for them and they demand freedom. We agreed that if they wanted to go out, we should go big or go home.
So we planned Da Puppets Du Europe 2012. Within 5 weeks we plan to gypsy our way across England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and beyond. With puppets on hand, we will fashion a "Puppumentary," gathered from stories and moments that we collect on this journey.
We are lovingly represented by Fourth Wall Productions, currently located at the Eugene O'Neill Compound in Connecticut.
The Impact
As we trace the lines that will mark our journey we find ourselves asking: “Why now? Puppets in Europe? Who cares?"
To our surprise - a lot of people care. Our world is in a place where the entertainment we're given is formulaic and fake, and the entertainment we need is completely forgotten. Our trip marks the beginning of our continuous journey to find, support, and create GOOD WORK. Whether it be puppetry, dance, theatre, photography, finger-painting, or anything else, we are hitting the streets to meet people, hear what they have to say, and share it!
What happens if we don't get funding?
Life stays monotonous and boring.
What We Need...
Right now we're asking for a decent $2573.
FOLLOWERS!! We don't exist without an audience, so be shameless and tell everybody you know about us!
ACCESS!! Though we already have tickets TO Europe, we still need the funds for:
- Traveling from city to city (most likely train).
- Food (nothing fancy shmancy, but enough to tide us over. We're 3 skinny girls and 3 creatures made of cloth... won't be much...).
- Admission (museums, gardens, ancient relics...)
- Supplies (glue, foam, fabric... puppet stuff). We'll need emergency fixer-uppers for Gratch, Lucy, and Lilith, as well as material for new creations to extend to our future friends!
Anything that may not be used during our journey will immediately go towards creating more puppets, shows, workshops, etc. in our home base of Brooklyn, NY.
Any amount is appreciated - see our perks to see what fun things come of your support!
Other Ways You Can Help
Get maniacal! If funding is something you can't do, there are countless other ways to be involved.
- TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT US. If we don't have fresh fans, we can't grow! Post our videos on your facebook wall, other people's walls, even on real-life walls if you're up for the challenge! Tell people about this project!
- Stay tuned in on our adventures. We post a new video at least once a week, and once we're in Europe, it will be a lot more frequent.
- Respond! We love comments, questions, suggestions, and really anything you may have to say about our work. If you have an idea for a video, by all means tell us about it!
- Be creative. This is a big one. Go out, get crafty, and CREATE SOMETHING GOOD.
Team on This Campaign:
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Ellie JManiac
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Fourthwall ProductionManiac