The Bighetty & Bighetty Cree Puppet Show
The International Children’s Festival of the Arts largely focuses on increasing cultural awareness. But in addition to fostering a broader global stage, the festival empowers and nurtures children by providing a fresh crop of ideas and crafts.
This year, The Bighetty & Bighetty Puppet Show, Cree puppeteers from Pukatawagan, Man. (about 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg), make their debut appearance at the festival.
Brothers Andrew, Kelsey, Daniel and Ken Bighetty hail from Pukatawagen, Manitoba and are the mastermind puppeteers behind four lovable, Indigenous puppets named Baptiste, Michel, Marcel and The Chief!
Raised on humour from an early age, the Bighetty brothers grew up loving The Muppets and Fraggle Rock but missed seeing themselves reflected in the puppets they enjoyed. Now, finding themselves behind the puppets, the brothers bring their unique characters to life with backstories and origins that resonate with traditional and cultural Cree experiences. Their spontaneous shows interweave a combination of Cree and English to keep audiences engaged and involved.
The brothers show up to entertain with comedy, sing-a-longs and silliness while also dealing with familiar themes of bullying, healthy eating, letting go, and being in touch with your emotions.
If you walk away happy and smiling, then the brothers will know they've done what they came for!