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Grant Harding's Art of Puppetry Workshop is available for schools and day camps in Ottawa, Ontario. Over forty workshops have been presented for eighteen clients. The workshop is best suited to children between the ages of four and twelve. It is suitable for groups of up to thirty children; larger groups can be split. Topics covered include: what is a puppet? history and styles of puppetry: marionettes, shadow puppets, hand puppets design and operation of Grant Harding's own puppet characters craft: simple rod puppets Emphasis is placed on the limitlessness of the art form: a puppet can be anything and can be made out of anything.
The workshop will work in any venue, requiring only space and a table, though a television with a DVD player can also be used if available. Its pacing and contents have been successfully adapted to suit children with learning disabilities and attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder, and for adults with physical and psychiatric disabilities.
	The client must provide the following supplies for puppet building: toilet rolls (one per child) popsicle sticks (one per child) masking tape any other craft materials the client has to hand (markers, googly eyes, pom poms, feathers, etc.) Prices are as follows: one hour: $50 one and a half hours: $65 two hours: $75 See also the printable information sheet (PDF format). To arrange a booking, please visit the contact page.
"Grant’s visits to Plant Summer Camp have been an incredible experience for both campers and counselors. His passion and creativity feed life into his puppets, giving them each a memorable character. I have witnessed his ability to engage the imaginations of children from various backgrounds. Definitely a memorable experience!" Lydia Gabelmann Arts Camp, Plant Recreation Centre "His performance was not only entertaining but incredibly unique and creative. Grant was accommodating in adjusting his performance to meet the needs of the group and he left with a room full of smiles--the children loved interacting with his puppets!" Laura Burgess Sunshine Day Camp, Learning Disabilities Association of Ottawa-Carleton "Grant's puppets allow a child to imagine anything as a resource. Made of everyday items, they present no boundaries for children's imagination. They are not limited by costly materials, nor by culture. Grant's personal enthusiasm and interest shines through." Merri Legris Kindergarten teacher, Hopewell Avenue Public School