RESIDENCY ONE: 30 June to 11 July 2008

Jacob Boehme

The Life and Art of Francis Carrot

The Life and Art of Francis Carrot is a puppetry based performance that retrospectively dramatises the life and amazing work of Aboriginal artist, Francis Carrot. Francis was a man of Palawa (Tasmanian) descent, fair skinned and red haired, who moved to the mainland to begin a career in millinery.

He joined the working tables of Arnold Snair's Millinery on Collins Street in the early 50's and went on to create some of the most memorable pieces worn in Australia and Internationally. We follow his rise from milliner's apprentice to Master Milliner and Costumier for the infamous Les Girls in Sydney during the 1970's. As we follow his loves, dreams, successes and struggles, we experience potent and powerful moments in Australia's history, from the Flora and Fauna Act of 1967 through to the Native Title Act and Mabo Decision of the 80's, where a fair skinned Indigenous man decides that "he doesn't want to claim his land, he just wants to decorate it."

Francis Carrot aims to explore Australian Indigenous History from the 1950's to 1990's through the eyes of the most unlikely hero...a fair skinned Aboriginal gay man with a passion for hats.

By the end of the TAP residency Francis Carrot will be developed to include a full working script as well as designs and prototypes for puppet characters and set design.

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Key artists

Jacob Boehme (Writer/Director)

Jacob began his puppetry career at Polyglot performing in Baggy Pants and has gone on to become a regular performer, and tutor for Polyglot. He has just completed a Masters in Puppetry at VCA following a Post Graduate diploma. He is also a dancer and choreographer.

Peter Jago

Peter Jago is a Melbourne based Milliner with an International reputation, designing many winning entries for Fashion awards, parades and festivals both here and Internationally. His work with taxidermi and flora (both native and international) have won him praise all over the world. His designs will be translated to the puppet theatre to create colourful and outrageous millinery puppet characters.