Award-winning
puppeteer and puppet
builder, Noreen
Young has held roles
of designer, writer,
and ultimately, executive-producer
for “Under the Umbrella
Tree”, a children’s
series that ran on
CBC television
and The
Disney Channel for many seasons,
and is now a eight-volume
DVD compilation marketed by Cinerio
Productions. She starred
in the series as Gloria
Gopher, alongside
her brother, Stephen
Brathwaite, who co-starred
as Jacob Bluejay.
A
graduate of the Ontario
College of Art,
she started her own
Corporation, Noreen
Young Productions,
in 1979. Over the
course of her illustrious
career, her distinctive
puppet characters
have appeared
on CBC, CTV, TV Ontario,
The Disney Channel,
BBC America, Canal
Famille and Much Music.
Her look-alike caricature
puppets include Governor
General Adrienne Clarkson
and her husband, John
Ralston Saul, Citizen
Publisher, James Orban,
CTV’s Max Keeping
and JJ Clarke, CBC’s
Peter Mansbridge,
popular TV personality
Wayne Rostad, hockey
host, Don Cherry,
prominent politicians,
as well as several
local residents and
business people in
her own community
of Almonte.
As the Artistic
Director for the Puppets
Up! International
Puppet Festival,
she has been instrumental
in securing troupes
from around the world
to showcase their
talents to Canadian
audiences. These have
included visiting
troupes from Britain,
the Czech Republic,
Cost Rica, France,
Brazil, Mexico, Hungary,
United States, and
from across Canada.
Well known as a
teacher of her art,
Young was awarded
The Order of Canada
in 1995 for
her contribution to
puppetry and children’s
television. A
promoter of education,
she has conducted
numerous workshops
in schools to teach
young people the art
and enjoyment of puppetry
and has encouraged
its application to
all parts of the curriculum.
Noreen Young was born
and raised in Ottawa
and has made puppetry
her lifelong passion.
She currently resides
in Almonte, in Mississippi
Mills, Ontario, and
continues to foster
a tremendous appreciation
for the arts through
her artistic endeavours
and community spirit.
She takes great pleasure
and pride in mentoring
young people and promoting
education in the arts.
She founded the
Noreen Young Bursary
Awards and,
during its 13 years, raised
over $300,000 to help
young artists achieve
their dreams.
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