Spiral Q Puppet Theater facts for kids
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| Nonprofit | |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | 3114 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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Key people
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Tracy Broyles, Executive Director Christina Cantrill, President |
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Number of employees
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Approx. 25 |
Spiral Q Puppet Theater is a special group that uses puppets and street performances to help make positive changes in the world. It was started in 1995 by Matthew "Mattyboy" Hart in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Matthew Hart was inspired by other groups that used art and performance to share important messages. He wanted to use puppets, street theater, and big parades to talk about social and political issues in a fun and creative way.
How Spiral Q Started
At first, Spiral Q created shadow puppet shows. They performed these shows in different neighborhoods. Soon, groups working for social change asked Matthew Hart to help them. They wanted puppets, props, and figures for their protests and educational campaigns. Spiral Q became well-known for helping communities in Philadelphia, especially those dealing with important health and social issues.
In 1997 and 1998, Matthew Hart organized the Full-On Puppet Festival in Philadelphia. This week-long event brought puppeteers from all over the country to share their amazing shows. Spiral Q also held an annual Day of the Dead parade on South Street until 1999. After these events, the group decided to focus even more on working directly with communities.
Parades and Community Events
Working with a local children's garden gave Spiral Q a new idea. They started making giant puppets with kids and adults. These big puppets would then be carried in parades and pageants. This led to a yearly citywide parade and pageant. It began in 1996 as "the Day of the Dead: Celebration and Parade." In 2000, it was renamed "Peoplehood: An All City Parade and Pageant."
Every October, the Peoplehood parade starts at the Paul Robeson House. It then travels to Clark Park, filling the streets with colorful puppets and people. Besides Peoplehood and other neighborhood parades, Spiral Q also has programs like "Justice Works" and "Education Initiatives." These programs help people learn how to use art to make a difference in their communities.
Since 2000, Spiral Q Puppet Theater has been located in the East Mantua area of West Philadelphia. Matthew Hart left the group in 2003 to work on other projects.
See also
- Medieval pageant
- In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre
- Superior Concept Monsters
