COMMUNITY
We believe that puppetry should be accessible to everyone.
We regularly run community projects, participatory performances, workshops and outreach programmes in the North East of England so that everyone has access to puppetry and creative expression. These projects range from our Puppet School, to year-long community development projects, to one-off workshops for schools and groups.
workshops
We regularly run workshops and community projects in the North East of England so that everyone has access to puppetry and creative expression. You can find some examples of the workshops we have on offer by clicking here or the button below. If you are a club, organisation, school, college, community group or care home, and might be interested in puppet making or performance workshop for your group, then please do get in touch.
“This was the only time in my week when I felt totally absorbed and happy. I was astonished to find that my chronic pain lessened during the classes”
– Puppet School participant, 2021
CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Click on the links below to browse through some of our current and previous projects:
The benefits of puppetry
Puppetry is an inherently accessible, expressive and inclusive creative activity. As the puppet is an extension of the body (as opposed to acting and dancing where the performers themselves are the focus), the art form encourages freedom of expression, builds confidence and is a neutral medium to explore difficult topics and themes. Puppetry is often non-verbal, focusing on movement, enabling it to break down language, demographic and cultural barriers, allowing unlikely participants to connect through creativity and exploration.
“It was a wonderful experience and it was so exciting watching the whole show come together. I’ve made some new friends and I’m going to learn to play the drums.”
– Tyne Rising participant, 2021
CASE STUDY: OUR ADELAIDE TERRACE
In early 2026 we were commissioned by Newcastle City Council to think of creative ways to engage people more with recycling in Benwell, Newcastle. We partnered with Action for Children and Al Islas Mosque to work with their communities. Across a programme of multiple workshops, participants explored puppetry, crafts, film making, and information about recycling, and the results can be seen in the videos below!
CASE STUDY: THEATRE-FOR-ONES
In 2019 we partnered with Equal and Seven Stories to run a programme of workshops to upskill facilitators and staff in how to make and perform with theatre-for-one boxes. Theatre-for-one boxes are self-contained miniature performances which are often watched by a single person or small group who are looking into the box through a hole, and listening to a soundtrack with headphones. Due to the portability of theatre for ones, they can be easily taken into care homes, hospitals and other community settings.
