The Whittlesey Straw Bear is a folk tradition kept in Cambridgeshire where the 'driver' is dressed in layers of straw and parades through the streets of Whittlesea. My Whittlesey Straw Bear puppet was made as a personal project inspired by the film Ritual Britain by Ben Edge, which showcases the Bear jumping and dancing to traditional tunes. I loved the shape and movement of the Straw Bear and decided to make my own, somewhat smaller, version.
I built the puppet from a twisted wire and wood armature with layers of fabric, wool and straw. Although I have not animated him yet I added small piece of wire to the wool to ensure there would be secondary movement when he dances. To watch my process video, visit my instagram post here.
