PUPPETEER
DELIVERING KEY MESSAGES, WITH A TWIST
Chris Lynch is an experienced and professional puppeteer, having worked on many children’s television shows in New Zealand. In 2020 and 2019, Chris partnered with mental health experts and created video content, performing a character, to encourage children to talk about emotions. The online video campaign was funded by the Ministry of Health and the Mental Health Foundation. Chris has worked with the Disney company, puppeteering New Zealand’s first Disney Muppet, to help promote The Muppets film. In 2016, with permission from producers of Sesame Street, he travelled to Fiji with Red Cross and produced and performed puppets to children affected by Cyclone Winston. While in Fiji Chris trained Fiji Red Cross staff and volunteers in puppetry so they can continue to provide psychosocial support to children affected by tropical cyclones using puppets.
Chris Lynch performed ‘Avon’ puppet for mental health awareness videos to encourage New Zealand children talk about their emotions with a new game designed by mental health experts.
Watch a short video of Chris Lynch’s puppet performance at a Christchurch Shopping mall for children with special sensory needs.
DELIGHTING CHILDREN IN FIJI WITH SESAME STREET MUPPET
Chris Lynch visited 1000 children in some of the worst hit schools in the western division of Fiji - entertaining as well as passing on health and safety message.
Thousands of children were also traumatised by the cyclone, so Fiji Red Cross had to find a way to reach them and help them to smile again. They toured affected schools with puppeteer Chris Lynch, who used his puppets to entertain as well as pass on subtle health, hygiene and safety messaging. The puppet shows reached 1,000 of the worst-affected children, including those at Vunikavikaloa Arya School.
Head teacher Asishwar Prasad says the puppet shows have changed the children's mood. "A new space has been created in their minds. They’ll go home and talk to their parents about seeing a white man with a red puppet, creating a new topic of conversation in the villages as well." He says the health and safety messaging was a bonus. "The children listened to the puppet where they may not have listened to a teacher or parent. They were concentrating. In the future they will know what to do," Mr Prasad says.
Talk to Chris today about booking for your event or cause today.
