I've been reading your forum for a few weeks now and would like to learn ventriloquism.
Firstly, because I'm a big(middleaged)kid inside and it looks great fun and because I love to make people laugh, especially kid's.
My oldest boy goes to a special needs school and I would love to reach a standard where I could give something back to the school.
Puppetwise I bought a "Vern" and I ordered a "Nana" from Axtell, I thought it would give me confidence having good equipment and hopefully people would be so smitten by the puppets they wouldn't see my lips move.
The UK has plenty of(political)dummies but we're short on ventriloquists.All help gratefully received.

Hi there Janice. There are some great vents in the UK. I was just over there doing a couple of conventions and met several. There may be some clubs if you ask around. You can see some of them listed here on the International Performer's Directory

http://www.axtell.com/uk.html

You can start learning vent here on this pagehttp://www.axtell.com/learn.html

Please keep asking questions and hang around the forum. Thanks!

Ax

Thanks for your response and advice,I see that one or two on the list are in my area so that'll be helpfull.I have already been following the How to page and am making decent progress,I'm teaching the puppet nursery rhymes until I get a script worked out, I'll improve with practice.
I find switching between me and the puppet the biggest problem,I forget to stop moving my lips! (maybe I need a split personality)
I haven't sorted out a permanent voice for the puppet and this needs working on.

As a newbie myself, I find the free computer program Audacity as a big help.
I sit in front of my computer with a hand held mirror and a microphone and my script. I hit the record button and off I go. I'm memorizing my script while at the same time watching my mouth movement. I'm also working on 2 different characters in my routine so I have to do 2 different voices as well. When I'm done with the recording I can immediately play it back listening to my character voices and how they sound with those problem letters. The playback also helps to learn the script.
Next I suggest performing your routine in front of the people you feel the most comfortable with. But do not get discouraged if someone says: "I saw your mouth move." I found out with my young granddaughters that if your routine is funny and your puppet interesting enough that they aren't even looking at my mouth when I speak the puppets part. They are looking at the puppet.
The really great ventriloquists might be performing in Vegas but one can have a lot of fun performing in their community with the right puppet and material.
Lastly as a kid, there was even a guy performing on TV entertaining millions with an act where he made no attempt to hide his lip movement. His act was just so funny one did not care about the movement of his lips.

HI Chris I don't have a Pc programme but I use a small dictation recorder and a mirror and that works well for me. I'm amazed how well I've done using the "front press" outlined on the site,Sometimes I do better than others times,that's how it goes I expect.
The Axtell puppets look great, I know when I watch a vent, my eyes are on the puppet not the speaker(most of the time)this will boost my confidence.Do you write your own scripts?

I like to write my own. I know what personality my characters have and what I want them to say. I also think it helps in memorizing the script because the original idea comes from myself.
What also helps me as a newbe is I write the script as the puppet will talk.
Example: Ladies and gentlenen, doys and girls, etherydody, lets githe a dig round of athlause to the nystical nagician.

I will be working out scripts as soon as I have a chance.I will probably plan characters around one of my children to begin with, because I know exactly how they would respond in a given situation and that will aid memorisation.Of course I will deny everything if they find out.Thanks for the tips so far and thanks to everybody who has responded to my postings so far.

Using your kids is an excellent base... it gives a sense of reality to your dialogue and you feel more comfortable since your characters are already patterned for you by your children.

I love to run stuff by my grandkids. I have a Dragon puppet that sits on my shoulder. I thought it would be funny to add something to him so that I could make him spit. The idea being that he is learning how to breathe fire. He makes a horrible sound and I'm telling him no, don't you dare breathe fire on anyone. Instead of fire he spits instead, still not knowing how to do it.
My 4 year old got insulted and offended when it happened. That happened over 4 months ago and she still asks; why did Puff spit on me? Needless to say, I dismantled my spitting contraption I put on my dragon.

Puff - you can use some baby powder in a bulb and blow a puff of smoke too.

Great Idea!! I'm sure my granddaughter would NOT be offended by that. The way my dragon sits on my shoulder and how his mouth is controlled will make me
become a little innovative again. An aerosol can should do the trick though.
Thanks Steve!

We do sell a can of smoke you could use for a great puff. See our dragon video...http://www.axtell.com/dragon.html