Students celebrate the art of making and a season of imagination

A good mentor is a key to success, particularly when students get to hone skillsets that that are specialized and difficult for people to improve on their own. Each year, the UNC Be a Maker (BEAM) network sponsors a Maker-In Residence program that brings an expert in the maker community to UNC. This unique program gives students the chance to work side-by-side with master makers.

In spring 2017, puppeteer Donovan Zimmerman from the Paperhand Puppet Intervention helped students create life-sized puppets as part of their spring collaborative. Because puppetry is an all-inclusive art form, the project drew participation from students with a variety of talents and interests, including theater, dance, fine art, design, science and activism and other disciplines.

With funding from the Innovate Carolina Dreamers-Who-Do Program, UNC’s Maker-in-Residence project for spring 2017 wrapped up with a capstone event celebration on Friday, April 7 in the Historic Playmakers Theater. The students who participated in the program showcased the giant puppet heads they created within the capstone program. 

A Special Thanks from A Student

“This program welcomes students from all over campus no matter what they are studying, introduces them to the makerspaces and encourages their creative and entrepreneurial spirit. This past spring, students created these larger-than-life puppets and put on a community puppet show. Participating students learned how to perform using these  giant puppets under the direction of Donovan Zimmerman. We’d just like to thank Jonathan Robertson for his generous gift and encouraging student innovation.”

  • Sam Petrie (BA ’18),  Executive Makers-in Residence Co-Chair

In 1998, Donovan Zummerman co-founded Paperhand Puppet Intervention. Through the creation of diverse styles of puppetry and artistic expression he and his team have promoted issues of social justice around the country.  Learn more about Paperhand.