Grant Proposal
Name of Center: Louisville Free Public Library Western Branch
Address: 604 South Tenth Street Louisville, KY
Contact person’s name/phone number/ best reached: Lucinda Boots 933-0029
9-5 weekdays
Email: Lucinda@lfpl.org
Project title & discipline: “Puppets for People” Puppetry
Total Cost of Project: $400
Funds Requested: $400
Project description
“The Library's mission is to provide the people of Louisville and Jefferson County with
the broadest possible access to knowledge, ideas and information, and to support them in
their pursuit of learning.”
Through the use of puppets, scriptwriting, and creativity this program will strive
to provide the patrons of the Western Branch library with a positive learning experience
and a greater appreciation for the Arts. The program will target children in the upper
elementary grades. The program will be held in June, which would allow the participants
to continue to be engaged in a learning experience during the summer months when they
would not normally be in school.
The project will include four 1-hour sessions with components of the following:
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 Scriptwriting-participants will write an original script to perform and construct
puppets for. Participants may choose to write in small independent groups or to
create a collaborative effort.
 Puppetry-participants will learn about the art of puppetry and its techniques.
 Puppet making-participants will learn the skills involved in constructing puppets.
 Performance-participants will have the opportunity to perform their original
scripts and display what they have learned about puppetry.
Collaboration: Professional puppeteers, Squallis Puppeteers (see attached resume)
Goals:
 This program will positively impact clients by allowing them the chance to
interact with local artists.
 Provide a creative writing experience in conjunction with KERA goals and
outcomes.
 It will also allow patrons to experience performing in front of an audience, as
parents and the public will be invited to the final session where the participants’
works will be performed.
 In addition, it will allow patrons to participate in a workshop outside their
normal everyday experience in that the workshop will expose participants to an
art form that they may not have encountered before.
 This program will involve a diverse group of children in a comprehensive art
experience.
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 Provide a program that supports the Library’s goals in service to youth as well as
the Library cultural institution.
 Develop a private-sector relationship with the Chestnut Street Family Branch of
the YMCA to enhance the program.
Objectives:
 Provide the Western Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library with a four-part
puppetry workshop.
 Teach children basic puppetry and performance terms and techniques—from
scriptwriting to creating the puppets needed to perform the script they have
written.
 Engage in activity and discussion evaluating puppetry in the Library’s collection.
Program logistics:
These sessions will take place at the Western Branch of the Louisville Free Public
Library in conjunction with the Squallis Puppeteers, a local puppetry group.
The patrons of the Western Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library are primarily
African-Americans who generally are in the lower income brackets. This population is
urban in nature and the branch is situated in a downtown Louisville location. The
number of participants expected would number 15. Materials will be provided to
participants through the proposed grant funding.
The need for this program was determined by discussion with the branch
manager, Carman Samuels, the children’s staff member responsible for children’s
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programming, Joanie Driggers, and the head of the Louisville Free Public Library’s
children’s services, Susan Moore. It was felt that the patrons of the Western Branch
would have a positive experience with this aspect of the Arts. It was also determined that
multiple sessions would help to enable to participants expose other children of their
acquaintance to the benefits of what the library can offer program-wise.
The Western branch of the Louisville Free Public Library has a more than
adequate space for this workshop. With a large meeting room facility available, the
Western Branch can provide a spacious location to hold the programming.
Benefits:
 Provide creative learning experience for children during the summer months in
consideration of KERA outcomes.
 Provide access to cultural programs at the Library in Louisville and Jefferson
County.
 Provides a creative process experience through an artist’s eyes and related
development of critical thinking skills.
 Allows children to participate in a cooperative experience with visible, tangible
outcomes.
Success
Success for this workshop would be measured by the following:
 Number of children who attend all four workshops.
 Number of children who participate in the final performance.
 Number of community members who attend the final performance.
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 Number of children who return to the library for other programming due to this
workshop.
 Final written report submitted to Susan Moore.
Timeline
January
Contact the Squallis Puppeteers concerning workshop.
Finalize totals for budget.
Contact the YMCA concerning partership.
Submit Artsreach Grant for approval.
April
Meet with Squallis Puppeteers to finalize details of workshop.
May
Purchase materials for workshop
Finalize any remaining details
June
Hold workshop.
July
Submit final written report to Susan Moore.
Submit final written report to Portia at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.
Budget
Totals
Squallis Puppeteers (2) for 4 hours @ $80/hour……………………$320.00
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Materials such as paint, glue, etc………………………………….$80.00
Total Expenditure……………………….$400.00
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