Fatima Seck is an artist, writer, and teacher from Boston, MA creating books and arts-based community experiences on Black women and children's history; and the intersection of art and health. Currently developing her project My Name is Harriet with the support of Puppet Showplace’s Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers, Fatima recently shared a few of her thoughts about the program:
A frame from Fatima Seck’s “My Name is Harriet”
Puppet Showplace: Can you describe your project in a few sentences?
Fatima Seck: My project is a puppetry-based game inspired by the childhood of Harriet Jacobs, a woman who was born into slavery in North Carolina and strived towards freedom all her life. Inspired by shadow puppetry, the game consists of different playable pieces, backdrops that can be moved and rearranged by the player, and narrative prompts to inspire dramatic play.
The goal was to think about: If the child is the puppeteer, what tools do they need to tell an exciting story that they lead? I made props & puppets out of plywood and made a wooden backdrop/set that was stained with black walnut ink foraged from around the site of Harriet Jacobs' grave. The narrative cards are also made from pieces of plywood pieces, to make a deeply tactile game and experience.
Puppet Showplace: What inspired (or is inspiring) the work you are creating during your Creative Residency?
Fatima Seck: What inspired the work is learning that though Harriet was enslaved, she felt free in her early childhood. I was interested in what would make it possible for a child to feel such a sense of freedom despite the conditions of her life and loved ones. It was exciting to explore the huge world of a child, and think about how to create an experience and opportunity for other small children to reflect seriously about their own childhoods and what's free in it. This is also part of what drove the decision to make a puppetry inspired game — wanting to create a self-driven opportunity for children.
Fatima Seck
Puppet Showplace: What have you found most rewarding or beneficial about your experience so far with the Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers?
Fatima Seck: The most rewarding part by far is connecting with other puppeteers. I have been so moved and inspired by their creativity, vision and skill. Puppetry was a totally new art form for me — I have had no context before this experience at all. Being able to connect with other puppeteers and their perspectives on how to tell stories empowered me to tell my own, and stretch the limits of my imagination.
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