Upcoming events

Public Event: Curious Puppets Festival, The Lion's Roar (and other stories)
Nov
9

Public Event: Curious Puppets Festival, The Lion's Roar (and other stories)

9 November 2025, 3pm: https://www.rosemarybranchtheatre.co.uk/show/the-lions-roar-and-other-stories

Swallow's Wings Puppetry Present:

A Lion's Roar & Other Stories

‍Step into a world of wonder—hidden in a magical pile of rubbish!
Two garbage collectors stumble upon forgotten treasures and timeless tales: here’s The Ugly Duckling, there’s The Lion and the Mouse… but what other surprises await?

Join us for a unique, one-time performance of our non-verbal puppet show—a vibrant mix of puppetry, dance, and West African music.

Expect laughter, surprises, and plenty of interaction for all ages.
Don’t miss it—something magical is waiting to be found!

‍

Performed by Carolene Yawa Ada and Francis Angol

Music by Richard Olatunde Baker

Created in collaboration with with Liz Walker & Mike Shepard

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Curious speaks at: Skipton International Puppetry Symposium 2025
Oct
17
to 18 Oct

Curious speaks at: Skipton International Puppetry Symposium 2025

Reconnect – Revision – Re-set: UK Puppetry Symposium

A two-day gathering of puppetry professionals from the UK and beyond, featuring workshops, performances, panels, and networking. Organised by North Yorkshire Council and funded by Arts Council England, the event focuses on sector growth, early-career support, and international collaboration. Activities will continue post symposium on Sunday 19th with PuppeteersUK AGM (members only) to take place at Craven Arts House and free puppetry performances, exhibition and demonstrations for the public.

Where is UK puppetry now — thriving, struggling, or surviving?
Where do we want to be, and how do we get there?

This is your chance to connect, share, and shape the future of the artform.

Isolation is a common challenge. Can we build a stronger, more united community? What do we need from our organisations to better support and advocate for us — at home and on tour?

Let’s come together to find our voice and reimagine what’s possible.

Reflection on Curious’ Participation at Skipton International Puppetry Symposium 2025

“You and the Curious Students were such a great asset to the discussion. Your input was so valued.” - Katherine O’ Reardon, Creative and Cultural Development Officer at North Yorkshire Council

Curious was delighted to take part in the Skipton International Puppetry Symposium this year, sharing our work, ethos, and community with the wider national puppetry community. Our presentation (which you can watch here), led by Artistic Director Sarah Wright and Producer Jemima Yong, told the story of: how Curious came into the world: its inspirations, the industry landscape at the time of its inception; what the school does; and what we’re moving towards in the future. The presentation celebrated the voices and experiences of our alumni - who continue to carry the spirit of Curious into the work they do.

We were joined by alumni Dix McDevitt (CSP 2023), Hector TJ Huang (CSP 2023), Bryony McCombie Smith (CSP 2025), Nico Venables (CSP 2025), Aqiong Zhang (CSP 2025) and Lee Maeda (CSP 2025) whose presence brought wonderful energy and insight into the conversation. The reflections of our extended alumni community were included through the voice notes they generously sent in advance - from Jennie Rawling (CSP 2019), Carolene Yawa Ada (CSP 2019), Markus Schabbing (CSP 2019), Anna Ingleby (CSP 2019), Zhaolin Zhou (CSP 2023), Edie Edmundson (CSP 2016), Paul Barnhill (CSP 2020), William Steele (CSP 2018), and Alicia Britt (CSP 2017). These contributions were activated through filmed puppetry, bringing their words to life in a playful way!

It was a joy to witness Curious alumni performing throughout the festival. We were thrilled to catch Life and Limbs Puppets’ new production At Sea, a wonderful example of cross-cohort collaboration and ongoing creative dialogue within the Curious community, featuring William Steele (CSP 2018) as Artistic Director, Calum Bruce (CSP 2023) as Assistant Puppet Director and Co-designer, and Chloe Flockart (CSP 2018) as Dramaturg.

The festival offered a rich space for exchange and connection, and it was really affirming to share our work with the broader puppetry community, including representatives from British UNIMA, Punch and Judy Guild, British Puppet Guild, Puppeteers UK, and Puppet Centre. We came away with a renewed sense of how vital and interconnected this community is - and how the ripples of Curious continue to travel through the work, relationships, and spirit of our alumni.

We are deeply grateful to Skipton International Puppetry Festival for the invitation, and to everyone who joined us in conversation, performance, and curiosity.

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Training: Curious puppetry taster day at the Kneehigh Barns
Oct
14

Training: Curious puppetry taster day at the Kneehigh Barns

  • Lamledra Hill Saint Austell, England, PL26 6JS United Kingdom (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

One day workshop at the Kneehigh Barns in Gorran Haven, Cornwall (Lamledra Hill, Gorran Haven, Saint Austell PL26 6JS).

Cost: £100

Ever thought you’d like to work with puppets? This one day workshop will dive into the principles of puppetry and consider how we bring a figure or object to life.

For theatre-makers, artists, dancers and story-tellers – come along and explore!

To receive further information on the workshop, accommodation, travel and to apply for a place (please note this course is non-residential. Accommodation can be booked in the village via Sarah)

Email Sarah at kneehighbarns@gmail.com

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Training: Two day workshop at the Kneehigh Barns
Oct
7
to 8 Oct

Training: Two day workshop at the Kneehigh Barns

  • Lamledra Hill Saint Austell, England, PL26 6JS United Kingdom (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Two day workshop: 7 - 8 October 2025

at the Kneehigh Barns in Cornwall (Lamledra Hill, Gorran Haven, Saint Austell PL26 6JS)

Cost: £220 (lunch provided)

A workshop for theatre-makers with an interest in using puppetry in their creative practice. Includes puppetry principles and technique with table-top and glove puppets, adding materials and objects to explore puppetry with text and as a visual means of sharing ideas and telling stories.

To receive further information on the workshop, accommodation, travel and to apply for a place (please note this course is non-residential. Accommodation can be booked in the village via Sarah), email Sarah at kneehighbarns@gmail.com

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Public Event: A Celebration of Marionettes on the Little Angel Theatre bridge
Jul
26

Public Event: A Celebration of Marionettes on the Little Angel Theatre bridge


🎟 Entry by donation

An evening celebrating the rich heritage and enduring magic of marionette puppetry in the UK. Discover the unique history of Little Angel Theatre, home to the country’s only long-string double bridge—a remarkable piece of engineering purpose-built for marionette performance.

Explore the artistry behind Lyndie Wright’s painted backdrops and John Wright’s exquisite marionettes that have brought stories to life on these iconic bridges for generations. You’ll learn how the bridges work, see the flying backcloths in action, and enjoy live demonstrations of marionette performance.

The evening features talks from:

⭐️ Sarah Wright, Director of the Curious School of Puppetry and acclaimed puppeteer, reflecting on her experiences and the vital importance of marionette craft today.

⭐️ Oliver Hymans, Associate Director of Little Angel Theatre, who will share insights into the current endangered state of marionette puppetry in the UK and outline LAT’s plans to secure its future.

Come and celebrate this extraordinary art form—and help keep the bridges alive for the next generation of makers and audiences.

Thank you to all who made this event possible: Lyndie Wright, Oliver Hymans, Susan Beattie, Lee Maeda, Alex Young, Ronnie Le Drew, Rachel Leonard, Alicia Britt, Mike Shepherd, Tim Sykes, Mark Morreau, Steve Tiplady, Amber Donovan, John Page

Read an article about the event on Everything Theatre, written by Mary Pollard.

black and white photo from the archive of Lyndie Wright
colour photos by Jemima Yong

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Jan
13
to 8 Mar

Training: Curious Professional 2025

“The Curious School of Puppetry is my favourite school among all the schools I’ve been part of so far. It’s not a school full of bureaucracy but rather a place filled with real warm-hearted talented human beings with a shared passion and a strong commitment to building a community where people can learn from each other - not only in puppetry but also in life. I love it and I’m incredibly grateful to be part of it.” - Student testimony

Curious 2025 ran as an eight-week intensive puppetry course from 13 January – 8 March 2025 at St Barnabas Dalston. We welcomed 16 students from 5 countries (including China, Netherlands and USA) and from a wide range of backgrounds: designers, jobbing performers and theatre-makers. The programme was taught by 20 tutors, including new voices in the team such as Uzma Hameed, John Wright and Fred Davis.

2025’s international cohort was: Alex Young, Apple Ding, Aqiong Zhang, Bartolomeo Bartolini, Bryony McCombie Smith, Danny Higgins, Haylin Cai, Lee Maeda, Lenke Duyvendak, Mima Beauchamp, Nick Duan, Nico Venables, Rachel Wansker, Roos Buskes, Saya Naruse, Zoe Grain.

“[Curious] has really restored my faith in the creative industry, that there is hope, that we can still build communities, love and care for one another, and make art that will hopefully make the world a better place.” 
- Student testimony

“One of the best things I really liked was working with actual working professionals in the industry right now! I feel a lot of other courses (or university courses) have tutors that were perhaps working 20 years ago and haven’t seen any theatre since but It makes [Curious] feel very current and that you are being treated like an equal and have a shared common language and reference points.” - Student testimony

“One of the most valuable things about Curious was the networking opportunity. Soup Nights are such invaluable places to meet people from the industry, a really fundamental weekly event.” - Student testimony

Our weekly Soup Nights offered a warm blend of nourishment and inspiration across seven Thursday evenings during the course hosted by the students. Each week, a leading practitioner - including Sarah Wright; David Lan and Danielle Hassanali; Basil Twist, Mervyn Millar and Tracy Waller; Phelim McDermott; Seb Mayer; Wils Wilson; and Vicki Mortimer - shared insights into their artistic practice through talks, slideshows, demonstrations, and films, followed by an informal Q&A with the audience.

The series created a welcoming space for exchange and community building, drawing an average of 60 visitors each week, and has become a much-loved highlight of the School’s programme.

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Public Event: 4th EDITION OF CURIOUS PUPPETS FESTIVAL at Rosemary Branch Theatre
Nov
7
to 13 Nov

Public Event: 4th EDITION OF CURIOUS PUPPETS FESTIVAL at Rosemary Branch Theatre

Cabaret
7 - 9 November 2024

Why We Left Home
Created and performed by Hector T.J. Huang & Chicken Shop Hermits
Narrated by Declan Robertson
Devised with Chiara Scoglio, Jasmine Sachdev & Phyllida Hickish with support from Halfpace Theatre & Ensemble Not Found

Is this love?
Dan Armstrong and Marysa Finnie 
with direction from Daniel Kettle

Brassface
Tiny House Puppetry (Fibi Cowley and Dix McDevitt) 
with music by Norman Willmore and Tom Gibbs

Entwine
Puppeteer Alicia Britt and Dancer Anna Smith
Directed by Rachel Warr

Carry Yourself (work-in-progress)
12 - 13 November 2024

Adapted from ten short stories by John Berger this new show questions what it means to Carry Yourself along life's journey.

Devised in the company of Hattie Naylor, Sarah Wright, Lyndie Wright, Peter O’Rourke, Femke Lemmens, Eoin Lynch, Poppy Franziska, Alex Mugnaioni, Markus Schabbing, Sara Guedes, Elisa de Grey, Rachel Leonard, Cath Godfrey, Birgul Kutan, Tim Fairhall, Adrian Stout and James How

Directed by Hannah White

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Public Event: Lyndie Wright: The Curious Art of Puppetry exhibition
Aug
18
to 13 Oct

Public Event: Lyndie Wright: The Curious Art of Puppetry exhibition

Thursday – Saturday, 11am – 6pm
Sunday, 11 AM – 5 PM

This exhibition celebrates an extraordinary collection of puppets that spans 65 years of Lyndie Wright’s work—a lifelong dedication to the art of puppetry. Her artistic vision continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of British puppetry and this exhibition serves as a testament to her enduring impact on the craft. Each puppet tells a unique story, weaving together the magic, creativity and craftsmanship that has made Wright a luminary in the world of puppetry. Lyndie Wright is still making full-time and teaching, passing on her skills to the next generation of artists, and inspiring audiences young and old with her creations.

The exhibition brings together an extraordinary collection of original puppet creations crafted at Lyndie Wright’s workshop in Islington, London, UK. The works on view encapsulate Wright’s relentless commitment and creativity, focusing on her own style of world renowned table-top, rod and glove puppets and carved marionettes.

Designing and making for theater and film, Wright’s puppets have performed for companies such as the Little Angel Theatre, London, UK; Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK; Kneehigh, Cornwall, UK; Wise Children, Bristol, UK; and National Theatre, London, UK. She has also been an influential presence in the films of her son, director Joe Wright. A fearsome Oskar from ‘The Tin Drum’ will occupy center stage, a beguiling Roxanne from the film ‘Cyrano,’ characters from ‘Tzar Sultan,’ ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Wild Night of the Witches’ will be among the very many curious scenarios that will greet visitors.

The exhibition also features the recreation of a corner of her workshop, comprising of puppets in the making, inspirational imagery, tools and materials, photographs, pamphlets and posters. This ephemera not only brings to life Wright’s story, but also offers a rare chance to experience the magical world of puppet theater.

Press Release

Photographs by Dave Watts

A film by Manuela Wirth, Claudia Delgado, Tamás A. Méder, Mengyao Zhang, Paige Fisher, Ana Germano, Liv Walde, Tamás Jeszensky, Iszlai József, Elena Bazu and Clio Ropa.

Archival footage by Derek Beck, Gren Middleton, Mike Pierce. Show in Greece by Glyn Edwards.

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Public Event: An exhibition of Puppetry by Lyndie Wright
Nov
28
to 10 Dec

Public Event: An exhibition of Puppetry by Lyndie Wright

Join us for a mesmerizing journey into the enchanting world of puppetry, celebrating the work of Lyndie Wright.

In addition to celebrating Lyndie's remarkable career, the exhibition serves a dual purpose by fundraising for a new roof for her workshop. The workshop stands as a symbol of the artistic hub where imaginative creations of many artists come to life, and the campaign aims to ensure its longevity and continued contribution to the world of UK puppetry.

Lyndie founded the Little Angel Theatre with her husband John Wright in 1961. She still works in her workshop next door where she has designed and made world renowned puppets ever since.

For Little Angel: Petrushka, Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, The Singing Mermaid, Paper Dolls, Cindermouse and Angelo. Kneehigh: The Tin Drum, Brief Encounter, Hansel and Gretel, Dead Dog in a Suitcase. Shakespeare’s Globe: The Little Matchgirl, A Midsummer Night's Dream. RSC: Venus and Adonis, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Antony and Cleopatra, The Canterbury Tales.

Other Theatres include Opera North: The Magic Flute. NT: Coram Boy. Polka Theatre: Paddington Bear, Stuart Little. Brandenburg Theatre, Germany: Tranquilla Trampeltreu.

Exhibition dates: Tues 28 November - Sun 10 December (closed on Mondays)
Opening times: 12pm - 7pm

Press Release

Illustration by Lyndie Wright
Photos by Jemima Yong

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Public Event: Curious Puppets Festival
Nov
9
to 11 Nov

Public Event: Curious Puppets Festival

Curious Puppetry returns to the Rosemary Branch Theatre for the 3rd annual Curious Puppets Festival!

Including a reimagined Punch & Judy and work from Sarah Wright, Hector Huang, Dix McDevitt, Dan Armstrong, Eoin Lynch, Ayşıl Akşehirli, Fibi Cowley, Steve Tiplady and Sally Todd - all of whom are 'Still Curious' alumni and tutors of the renowned puppetry school.

Get Tickets

—

Programme

Punch!
(5 mins)
Sarah Wright, Mike Shepherd

From Kneehigh’s Dead Dog in a Suitcase comes a short sharp Mr. Punch as he battles the ills of human existence.

I Wear my Heart on my Sleeve
(20 mins)
Presented by Chicken Shop Hermits (Hector T.J. Huang, Chiara Scoglio) Original Music composed Declan Robertson

Office workers Albert and Bridget are haunted by a monster from their past.

A Woman with a Pram
(3 mins)
Hannah White, Sarah Wright

A story observation by John Berger

Walking the Wall
(13 mins)
Fibi Cowley, Dix McDevitt

This object-lead exploration of creative collaboration follows legendary love stories into the private sphere and asks what we sacrifice when passion and heartbreak are used as an artistic source.

An evening with the sublimely bewitching Samantha
(8 mins)
Dan Armstrong

All the Glitz and Glamour more suited to the West End than a pub theatre... prepare to be charmed, dazzled and quite possibly aroused.

The Overcoat
(7 mins)
Eoin Lynch and Ayşıl Akşehirli

Shadow and miniature theatre a piece in development based on the story by Nikolai Gogol

Pilgrim
(25 mins)
Elisa de Grey

A woman leaves her old life and disappears into the wilderness. Encounters with a fish, an owl, a river spirit, and a mysterious figure conjure the ancient magic of the land and the longing to become reunited with her. This is an excerpt from a longer piece.

Dispute with a Butterfly
(6 mins)
Fibi Cowley

An individual desperately searching to learn about making change, both in themselves and the world around them explores the life cycles and migration of the painted-lady butterfly.

Punch Again!
(5mins)
Sarah Wright, Mike Shepherd

Puppets designed by Lyndie Wright, carved by Jan Zalud, costumes by Gerry Spiller

—

Lighting: Freddie Crossley

Sound: Hannah White

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The Adventures of Curious Ganz: Still Curious perform at Charleville OFF Festival
Sept
19

The Adventures of Curious Ganz: Still Curious perform at Charleville OFF Festival

  • MCL Ma Bohème 21 Rue d'Aubilly Charleville-Mézières, Grand Est, 08000 France (map) (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

“It was so special to live for a few days in a world where puppetry is absolutely ubiquitous… It felt really good, supportive and flourishing. It showed me it was possible and it showed me how under supported and underappreciated puppetry is in London. Now that I have experienced it in an embodied way, I feel less alone in my passion for the art form and more confident in creating environments where it is celebrated and ubiquitous.” - Alumni feedback

As part of Still Curious professional development, a troupe made out of Still Curious alumni artists took The Adventures of Curious Ganz to Charleville’s OFF Festival. We performed two shows on 19 September at MCL Ma Bohème and sold out both shows. The group stayed for the rest of the week to see shows together and network with puppeteers from other parts of the world.

We succesfully ran our first Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, raising £4820 with 48 backers, exceeding our target (of £3900) over 39 days.

Our presentation at Charleville’s OFF Festival led to the show being invited to Puppetopia in NYC, USA in 2024.

“A seed that will remind me how important puppetry is and the depth of the stories that can be told with this form.” - Alumni feedback

“I would never have been able to afford to go to the festival. Simple. I came to the festival very empty and drained from a summer of working to re-pay my debts accumulated when making my show. I come away from the festival totally energised, full of ideas for my next show. I also deeply benefited from seeing so many shows with other puppeteers sharing the same language (our Curious school of puppetry language). Discussing the shows was as rich as seeing them.” - Alumni feedback

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Public Event: Curious 2023 Project Sharings
Mar
8
to 9 Mar
Project Sharings

Public Event: Curious 2023 Project Sharings

The Curious School of Puppetry Project Sharings are a presentation of work by current students, culminating the eight-week intensive course. The evening is made up of short performances that explore different approaches to puppetry!

Timings: we will be serving SOUP at the project sharings from 6 - 6.45pm. And the show will start promptly at 7pm!

Entry donations: On site, there will be a compulsory entry donation which is pay what you can (recommended minimum £7)!

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Public Event: Curious SOUP Night - Louise Gold
Mar
2
SOUP Nights

Public Event: Curious SOUP Night - Louise Gold

Our ✨final✨SOUP Night speaker of the series is 🥁🥁🥁 puppeteer, actor & singer Louise Gold! Louise puppeteered and did voice acting for programmes such as The Muppet Show, Sesame Street and The Dark Crystal. She was also a founder of, and lead puppeteer for, the television show Spitting Image from 1984 to 1986.

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Public Event: London International Mime Festival: Our Puppet Families talk
Feb
1

Public Event: London International Mime Festival: Our Puppet Families talk

A pre-show talk with Cheryl Henson and Sarah Wright about how growing up in renowned family puppet companies led them to become ardent advocates for the art of puppetry.

Cheryl Henson, daughter of Jim and Jane Henson of the Muppets and President of the Jim Henson Foundation, and Sarah Wright, founder of The Curious School of Puppetry and daughter of John and Lyndie Wright, founders of The Little Angel Puppet Theatre, discuss what makes puppetry the most exciting form of theatre in the world, why they stuck with it, and what they are doing to support and foster the next generation of puppeteers.  

More information here

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Public Event: Curious SOUP Night - Shirley May
Jan
26
SOUP Nights

Public Event: Curious SOUP Night - Shirley May

For our second soup night of the season 🥣, we invite poet Shirley May to share her experience as Founder and Artistic Director of Young Identity, a Manchester-based literature and performance arts charity whose mission is to nurture, develop and champion the voices and creativity of diverse young people through literature, writing and performance. The title of May’s talk is ‘16 years to NPO*’

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Public Event: Curious SOUP Night - Sue Buckmaster
Jan
19
SOUP Nights

Public Event: Curious SOUP Night - Sue Buckmaster

🥣 Curious School of Puppetry’s Thursday SOUP nights are BACK! 🥣

Join us at our new home in St Barnabas Hall (Dalston) every Thursday for the next 8 weeks!

Our inaugural speaker is 🥁🥁🥁 Sue Buckmaster, artistic director of Theatre-Rites!!

The title of Sue’s talk is What sort of Puppetry Practitioner do you want to be?


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Training: Curious Professional 2023
Jan
16
to 11 Mar

Training: Curious Professional 2023

  • Shacklewell Row London, England, E8 2EA United Kingdom (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

“I felt a constant growth and development of my ideas, skills and taste… I gained a full pack of tips and tricks on how to unlock stories and how to make them clean and engaging… The fact that this space was specifically created to explore ideas and to play made me feel safe and willing to put my ideas out there without having fear of judgement and having other curious members as a part of it creates an even safer and familiar feeling to the whole experience because we all speak the same language…” - Student testimony

Curious 2023 ran as an eight-week intensive puppetry course from 16 January - 11 March 2023 at St Barnabas Dalston. We welcomed 17 students from 7 countries (including Singapore, South Korea and Belgium). New lecturers on the course this year included Tobi Poster Su and Andrew Kim.

2023’s international cohort was: Bright Ong, Calum Bruce, David Burchhardt, Dixie McDevitt, Fibi Cowley, Hannah White, Heather Lai, Hector Huang, Helen Foan, Hyemin Han, Iris Schmid, Julia Ghorayeb, Liza Cox, Poppy Franziska, Sara Guedes, Sean Garratt, Zhaolin Zhou.

“What Curious offers is a distinct style of teaching. It’s a highly immersive experience that doesn’t stop when class is dismissed… The course retains its unique foothold in the industry due to its unmatched variety and the experience level of the tutors, and its network of alumni who welcome students into an extended community of puppeteers.

The variety of teaching is broad-ranging, from tabletop to marionette, from shadow and light to object theatre, through eleven separate modules which are each two to four days long…

The course totally exploded my understanding of the art-form, and woke me up to what it was to be a puppeteer, beyond just the puppet. Through playing and working together, we formed a deep understanding of each other, which allowed for collaboration to flourish. I learnt that puppetry has even more to do with life experience and interpersonal skills than your understanding of movement and physics, though these technical aspects are also embedded in the teaching and feedback.”

- Excerpts from the text The Curious School of Puppetry  by Fibi Cowley published on EU Contemporary Puppetry Critical Platform

“We have had the privilege of learning under some wonderful puppetry artists, and I would

have been hard pressed to find this anywhere else… I appreciated the way Curious selected

its students as it gave me a good insight into the different ways puppetry artists access the

artform. It was lovely to see so many ‘Still Curious’ coming back to help out and be involved

in the community that the school has built. Their ardent support is testament to the strength

of the ties that are formed through the course, and for the art form.

”

- Student testimony

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Training (online): The Solo Puppeteer
Jan
12
to 14 Jan
Online, Get Curious, Workshops

Training (online): The Solo Puppeteer

Being a solo puppeteer raises many questions…

What’s my relationship to the puppets? How do I operate multiple characters at the same time? How do I keep the story alive while dealing with the technical stuff? And how do I create when working alone?

Rene Baker’s new online course ‘The Solo Puppeteer’ will explore all of these topics.

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