We at Lumen Street Theatre are offering a fantastic opportunity to work with Artist Matteo Raciti who will lead people through the design and making process with a practical workshop on puppet design, mechanics and papier mâché in their HQ at 16 Roches Street, Limerick City.
The Sessions:
Starts with a presentation, where Matteo will explore processes, his practice, kit and introduce basic elements. A full overview and tour of Lumen’s HQ in preparation for Samhain: Limerick’s Hallowe’en Festival 2025 will take place as part of introduction on day one. Get hands on experience during the later sessions and enjoy some playtime with process, learn how to create using the Italian time-honoured methodology. Matteo will also offer his expertise by taking a closer look at what participants are doing in their work and answering questions about your specific requirements.
- The cost of the workshops is €420, all materials will be provided.
- Course will take place over 3 days from 17th to 19th of September.
- Register by emailing info@lumenstreettheatre.ie
- Two micro-bursaries of €300 each are available for ISACS artists, to reduce the workshop fee to €120 – learn more here.
Matteo has a Master’s degree in Architecture but has been working in Street Theatre, Community and Outdoor Arts since 2017. He has gained a wide range of skills including Set and technical Prop making, Production and Project management, Music and Soundtrack work and of course puppet design. He has received awards in Viareggio Carnival in each category he has entered since 2018
For more info on Matteo check out https://www.matteoraciti.com/ and his Instagram here
Matteo in His own words:
My name is Matteo Raciti and I am an Italian artist, sculptor, and set designer. I earned my master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Catania in 2015, with a thesis in set design entitled “The Itinerant Ephemeral: History, Technology, and Innovation. A Proposal for the Varia di Palmi.” After graduation, I joined the studio of sculptor Marcello Giorgi in Pietrasanta (Lucca), an important encounter in a formative area both artistically and technically. Shortly after, I worked at the shared art studio “La Polveriera” with national and international artists, who furthered my career in sculpture. I developed artistically on the construction sites for the Acireale Carnival floats, where I truly learned to work in the workshop. After collaborating with artist Alessandro Avanzini and Gilbert Lebigre and Corinne Roger’s La Società dell’Arte, I participated with five papier-mâché sculptures at the Viareggio Carnival, winning important awards. In Pietrasanta, I am part of the artist collective “INTRECCIArte,” and together we manage an exhibition space where I display my works. In 2019, the village of Pitigliano (GR) welcomed my ateliergallery with a temporary exhibition of my work. Since 2020, the work titled “I Disagi di Gulliver” has been part of the Viareggio Carnival Museum (LU) within the Espace Gilbert. Also since 2020, the sculpture titled “Il Castello ritrovato” has become a permanent work at the Borgo Museo di Castagno di Piteccio (PI). In the same year, I created the public work “Hybris” with Officina Chiodo Fisso at the Porta dei Borghi in Lucca, making it one of the ten finalists of Cartasia – International Paper Art Festival. That same year, I exhibited the work “Melinconica Humpback Whale” at Villa Gori, Massarosa (LU) at the “Pinocchio 2020” exhibition. In 2021, I created the public work in paper and iron “Magma Dentro” in the Piazza Duomo in Acireale (CT) for the tenth anniversary of the Magma International Short Film Festival. In 2022, I designed and created two major paper sculptural installations for the Catania metropolitan market “Piazza Scammacca” and the project for a new Santa Lucia float in Syracuse entitled “The Chariot of Light.” The sea, mythology, and introspection are just some of the themes I love to delicately explore through my sculptures.
Lumen engages communities in the creative process through a prism of visual spectacle, presenting performances that are spectacular, distinctive and uplifting within the urban environment of Limerick. Lumen looks to Ireland’s rich heritage to inform their work, drawing inspiration from local folklore and social histories. Their flagship project is the establishment in 2018 of Samhain: Limerick’ Hallowe’en Festival, a festival dedicated to our ancient Celtic traditions and customs originating in Ireland more than 2,000 years ago. Designed and owned by Lumen Street Theatre, Samhain: Limerick’s Hallowe’en Festival and spectacular parade has succeeded through the dedication of its founding members in collaboration with local communities and agencies. They aim to share these stories beyond their city walls, to a broader demographic by way of imaginative and innovative experiences. their mission extends beyond, to bring local and international artists into collaborative and participatory projects, producing highly creative and informative outcomes. To demonstrate best practice, Lumen evaluate all participants and audiences to provide better programs of events and activities, current to our times, and in line with the national plans for Irish artistic growth.