CONFLUENCE ― A new festival is coming to town and it may make people crankies.

Crankie people from around the county will gather Saturday at the Confluence Creative Arts Center for the Festival of Scrolling Panoramic Arts.

This event is a showcase of a performance art – crankies – that dates to the 19th century. Crankies, otherwise known as “scrolling panoramics,” use illustrated scrolls to present a story, song, or poem. Crankies use a back-lit box to project art or shadow puppets onto a viewing screen. Long paper scrolls are “cranked” through the viewing box as a song or story is performed.

Saturday’s crankie show begins at 7 p.m. It will be preceded by a community potluck at 6:30 p.m. Admission to the Festival of Scrolling Panoramic Art is by donation.

More:Festival of Scrolling Panoramic in Confluence

The effect is simple, magical and engaging to experience as an artist or audience member. They are interactive “story machines” that feel a bit like a small movie theater.

More:Crankies on display at Festival of Scrolling Panoramic Arts

It takes a team

This year, in addition to showcasing some of the finest crankie performers in the country, the Arts Center is teaming with Turkeyfoot Valley High School in a special initiative that introduces students to the art form. With support from the district and the 1889 Foundation Creative Health Impact Grant, area teens are working with mentor artists to learn about the history of scrolling panoramics.

More than two dozen students are involved in the project. It incorporates components of engineering, construction, art, history and music. They’ll build a crankie box, design a scroll and perform in the Festival of Panoramic Arts.

The student outreach is organized by the Confluence Creative Arts Center and is being implemented at the school by math teacher and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) club adviser Ben Phillian, art teacher Crystal Hay and chorus teacher, Kayla Deyarmin. In addition, crankie artists and puppeteers are presenting workshops at the school to advise the students on their collaborative project, and Hay is introducing crankies to her elementary school art classes.

“I am always excited to see our local students spotlighted, and this group of chorus and STEAM kids is a perfect team. They have dedicated and energetic teachers and mentors to guide them,” said Jody Best, director of the Confluence Creative Arts Center, in an email. “Plus, they are already a cohesive group with STEAM, singing, and drama skills that lend themselves to this performance opportunity.”

More:Crankie people headed to Confluence

Performing artists coming to town

Pittsburgh-based artist and puppeteer Emily Schubert visited Turkeyfoot as part of a series of mentor-artist workshops. Schubert provided insights on how to incorporate articulated shadow puppets into the students’ crankie project and demonstrated shadow puppets from a variety of cultures.

As part of the crankie fest weekend, acclaimed performing artists from Minnesota, Vermont and Baltimore will be visiting the school to present shows for all grade levels. This is a tradition that began with Jane Holt at Rockwood Area Elementary School and has been part of Confluence crankie festivals for the past seven years.

Turkeyfoot’s crankie project has involved months of planning and hands-on involvement from students in grades 8 through 12.

“Everything is interconnected. Students have had a seat at the table from the initial brainstorm for the story’s imagery and box construction to the timing and performative aspects of the project as we ollaborate with our choir,” Phillian said. “This crankie project has been a heartwarming experience like no other, and I am so grateful we have been able to bring it to Turkeyfoot. Even in our technological age, art continues to push boundaries like science, engineering, and math.”

Students have appreciated the active engagement in the process.

“I had lots of fun having the chance to bring my hobby of building into a school project,” eighth-grader Aidan Hair said. “I was able to create most of the box, including the handles and panels. I was very excited to share my favorite pastime with the STEAM club.”

Jessica Pepe, 10th grade, agreed.

“I learned the mechanics behind the crankie and how fun it can be to build things,” she said.

The students carefully deliberated on the performance aspect of their crankie project. They selected the song “You Will Be Found” by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, a piece that addresses some of the anxieties that students can face from social media and bullying.

The Turkeyfoot chorus will accompany the scrolled panoramic for the show, as well as for the spring concert at the school. Lee Bowers, eighth grade, recognized that building the crankie and doing the artwork is just part of the overall effort. A lot of practice also goes into the presentation of the music.

“The harder we work on our project, the better the outcome will be,” he said.

In addition to the high school student crankie, younger students from the Confluence region are involved in a collaborative crankie-making project on weekends. Children, ages 7 to 12, are working together to help create the artwork for a very large crankie that will also be performed at the Festival of Scrolling Panoramic Arts.

“This is the first year we’ve done something at this scale with high school students, and I think Turkeyfoot students can be proud of their sustained efforts,” Best said.

“The Turkeyfoot crankie is sure to be a high point of the show, and I know the audience will love seeing what a committed group of teens can do. I hope we’ll see local students perform and participate in many more Arts Center programs.”