Scroll through the years using the left and right arrows to find out more about Puppet Centre's history.

• 'Puppetry in Opera' was held on the 9th and 10th November 2012 and offered 'Ground breaking ideas and visions for the future'
• Day one was held at the Barbican with high profile speakers including; William Kentridge, David Pountney, Stefan Fichert, Mark Down, Nori Sawa, Alberto Jona, Anna Karinsdotter, Penny Francis MBE and Daniel Snowman talking of their own experiences of the two art forms
• In the evening attendees were treated to a showing of work in progress from the Young Artsists Project run in partnership with Puppet Centre, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
• Day two was held at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where participants took part in workshops throughout they day. Each workshop contained an opera and puppetry director
• The two day event is a resounding success with many new relationships forged and the promise of new and exciting work to push both art forms forward in the future

Video from the day

Barbican

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

• The new Puppet Centre website is launched on 1st May
• Showing of work in progress by the 2011-12 resident companies. Pif Paf (Pete Gunson and Eleanor Hooper) from mac Birmingham; Little Ray (Corina Bona) from Ferment at Bristol Old Vic; and Beady Eye Theatre (Kristin Fredricksson) from Farnham Maltings.
• ‘Puppetry Provocations’ was a series run in partnership with the Little Angel Theatre to discuss the art form of puppetry and the puppeteers. Speakers included: Penny Francis MBE, Mark Down, Peter Glanville, Becky Smith and Rene Baker
• Awarded funding from Grants for the Arts for the forthcoming year
• Residencies at Z-arts and the Nuffield Theatre Southampton for 2012-13 are launched. Isobel Smith of Grist to the Mill is in place at Nuffield, and No Nonsense Theatre at Z-arts, Manchester
• Travel and training bursary 2012 is also launched and successful applicants include: Isabel Lyster, Lesley Butler, Becca Rose, Soledad Zartare, Hannah Mulder, Liat Rosenthal and Kathleen Yore
• Puppet Centre visits the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and offers a free 'Maximum Effect' Handspring puppetry workshop with Al Nedjari as well as a 'Puppetry Provocations' with Peter Glanville
• Two 'Voice for Puppeteers' are held and facilitated by Dolly May who also teaches at CSSD
• 'Puppetry in Opera' takes place in November 2012 and is a resounding success

Nuffield Theatre

Z - Arts 

Little Angel Theatre

Handspring Puppet Company

• ‘Puppetry Snax’ showcase for family work in development
• New Administrator in place
• Publication ‘Puppets Abroad’ booklet launched in collaboration with British UNIMA promoting British companies available to tour abroad
• Symposium on directing puppetry as part of the Suspense Festival
• Workshop with Georgian Director, Nino Namicheishvili, on the ‘Choreography of Puppetry’ as part of the Suspense Festival
• Workshop with Mandinga Arts on making large puppets for outdoor performance
• Handspring Puppet Company on manipulation and aspects of the Handspring way
• ‘How to tweet’, 'How to apply to Gfta' and ‘How to book a tour’ sessions 
• Following a successful application to Grants for the arts intensive work begins on a new website
• Penny Francis MBE, founding member publishes her book ‘Puppetry: A Reader in Theatre Practice’

Puppets Abroad

Farnham Maltings

mac

Ferment, Bristol Old Vic

Suspense Festival

• ‘Big Ideas’ in collaboration with University of Winchester; Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN); UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA); Emergency Exit Arts (EEA) and X.TRAX
• ‘How to...’ workshop series initiated. The first on marketing and the arts
• Graduate residencies at BAC awarded to Annie Brooks, Unpacked and (R)Evolution, including practical help and guidance from the Puppet Centre, rehearsal space and a showcase
• Masterclasses and workshops: four during the year with leading artists in the field
• Showcases 'Nuts and Bolts' by Puppet Centre and CSSD graduate residency recipients 
• ‘Puppetry Snax’ – a sharing opportunity for adult work in development
• National puppetry online archive project: discussions with The British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild and other interested parties to discuss an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund to support this

University of Winchester

Independent Street Arts Network

UK Centre for Carnival Arts

Emergency Exit Arts

X.TRAX

Heritage Lottery Fund

• In 2009 Puppet Centre gave over its gallery and library space to BAC. Puppet Centre is now located in the Old Nurses Room on the second floor of BAC.
• ‘Animations in Print no. 3: Animated Bodies’ articles with an accent on the relationship of puppetry and dance, reviewing work in Britain of 2008. 
• Recruitment of a new Director for Puppet Centre - Linda Lewis

• Business plan development with Simon Hart Director of Puppet Animation Scotland as consultant
• ‘Animations in Print no. 2: Animated Advances’ as a review as 'Animated Encounters' of 2007
• December - adventures in dance and puppetry in BAC’s Grand Hall individual pieces linking the two art forms. 
• ‘Animating the Animators’ - bursaries offered to selected practitioners to explore the relationships of dance and puppetry, and to commission a performance
• Masterclass in Norwich Puppet Theatre by Tabula Rasa

• ‘Animations in Print no. 1: Animated Encounters’ review illustrated in colour of the puppetry seen in Britain during 2006
• Move out of Puppet Centre spaces to office on ground floor at BAC to be Puppet Centre’s permanent home with expectation of extra adjoining office in due course

• Beccy Smith leaves and Natalie Querol is appointed Administrator
• Launch of ‘Animating the Animators 2’ 
• Project 'Transformations' funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation run on a Wandsworth estate
• Masterclass in Manchester with Ronnie Burkett
• Workshops in vocal skills, mask and movement and training for those delivering workshops
• Project ‘Gathering the Strings’
• Funding by Arts Council England secured. Four bursaries provided by CETT (Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre, based at Central School for Speech and Drama) for puppeteers to be based at BAC with some use of the facilities there 
• ‘Tales of Shadow’ project for Wandsworth funded by Walter St. John Trust. Collaboration with National Theatre to provide puppetry workshops in schools throughout London and at the Imperial War Museum

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre

Walter St. John Trust

Imperial War Museum

• Collaborations with London International Mime Festival (workshop programmed was ‘The Logic of Movement’) and National Student Drama Festival (workshops)
• ‘Moving Words’ project – the pairing of a playwright and a puppeteer to produce a short piece of work - in collaboration with the Soho Theatre where the outcomes would be shown. Funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation 
• Arts Council funding for the bursary scheme restored. Puppet Centre a de facto national organisation
• Masterclasses supported in Bristol, Brighton and Norwich
• Workshops for young people run during the Wandsworth Arts festival
• Renovation of the Puppet Centre studio with a windfall grant from Wandsworth Borough Council
• Exhibitions in Chertsey and Stevenage
• Most of the puppet collection moved to Bridgnorth, Shropshire, to be in the care of Michael Dixon
• 30th anniversary buffet and cabaret in the BAC café

London International Mime Festival (LIMF)

National Student Drama Festival

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation 

• Two-year programme of work produced called ‘Animating the Animators’
• Workshop with Ronnie Burkett
• The collections - storage is no longer possible for Puppet Centre at BAC
• Continuing professional development panel instituted
• Lead advisor (John Sharples) produces business plan for next three years (funded by Arts Council England)

Arts Council England

• Beccy Smith is appointed Administrator and later Director
• Penny Francis resigns as Chair
• ‘Round table 2’ - both round tables a success
• Tom Morris, Director of BAC, support the work of Puppet Centre, and writes a paper with advice for Puppet Centre's future.
• Anthony Dean appointed to Chair of Puppet Centre
• Baring Foundation’s strengthening the voluntary sector funds successful application for a grant for a part-time researcher of sources of funding
• ‘Animations Online’ launched in March with Dorothy Max Prior as Editor
• Arts Council of Great Britain restores funding for two bursaries at £8,500 each. Also funds two staff members, a Lead Advisor (John Sharples) and a Project Manager
• Tom Morris leaves BAC to be Associate Director at National Theatre

Baring Foundation

• Workshop in centre run by Drak’s Josef and Jakub Krofta. Forum after the Krofta workshop
• Administration Assistant for Katie Richardson appointed
• Part of the office sublet to Frantic Assembly
• ‘Round table 1’ - Prestigious gathering of influential friends of the Puppet Centre to discuss its future

Frantic Assembly

• Continuing support from Association of London Grants and Wandsworth Borough Council
• Policy at Puppet Centre changed to serve London region only
• May: Newsletter no 2
• Katie Richardson in post 4 days a week

• Puppet Centre operates with volunteers
• ‘Animations’ suspended. An A4 sheet of news issued
• Kate Gant employed April to September as Development Consultant, funded by Arts Council England
• London Borough Grants to be called Association of London Grants and funding ceases to Puppet Centre and many other London based organisations

• 25th anniversary year 
• March workshop on fundraising from trusts by the Charities Aid Foundation
• London Borough Grants Council awards ongoing funding of £27,473
• June conference of all puppetry organisations
• 1-3 October 'Unstrung Heroes', in the BAC festival of visual theatre
• Director Loretta Howells resigns

Charities Aid Foundation

• Death of Honorary Treasurer John Phillips in July
• New Chair of Puppet Centre appointed - Clive Chandler
• ‘Fantasy in Action’ touring exhibition continues
• Lakeside Shopping Centre festival of puppetry in July/August. Sponsored by the shopping centre and with a pairing grant from Association of Business Sponsorship for the Arts 
• Workshop object animation in BAC festival of visual theatre which hosted a ‘puppetry day’

• ‘Toy Theatre’ an evening celebration and a Christmas season of Joe Gladwin’s ‘Cinderella’

• Change of constitution to a company limited by guarantee and re-registered as a charity
• Slimmer structure
• Executive committee and council merged into a ‘board of directors’ chosen from a national advisory panel consisting of representatives of all the national organisations and a 50% proportion of practitioner puppeteers

• New Chair of Puppet Centre appointed - Glyn Edwards 
• ‘The Great Puppet Party’ street parade outside and colourful celebrations, workshops and performances inside BAC 
• ‘Fantasy in Action’ touring exhibition created
• Jonkonnu – Jamaican masquerade along Lavender Hill

• Legacy received of £28,000 from Miss Helen Elizabeth Hanson, a mystery admirer of Puppet Centre’s work
• New Executive Director of Puppet Centre appointed - Anna Ledgard

• David Currell (pictured) steps down as Chairman from the Puppet Centre Trust Council
• Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation enquiry into the state of national puppetry. Publication of the findings in a booklet titled ‘On the Brink of Belonging’
• Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD) in collaboration with Puppet Centre inaugurates the first puppetry course in higher education. Graduates receive an advanced diploma in higher education. Penny Francis appointed course tutor

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Central School of Speech and Drama

• Princess Diana visits BAC to open a new studio theatre and spends time with children at Puppet Centre (pictured) 
• Publication of ‘Aspects of Puppet Theatre’, a book of essays by Henryk Jurkowski, edited by Penny Francis

• Third international master class on adapting and writing for puppet theatre, held at BAC

• Second international master class on adapting and writing for puppet theatre, held in Norwich

• Demonstration takes place outside Arts Council Great Britain in Piccadilly, on the proposed withdrawl of revenue funding to Puppet Centre (pictured) 
• First international master class on adapting and writing for puppet theatre jointly funded by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Arts Council England. High professional level of tutors and attendees.

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Arts Council England

• 1984 saw the second major international puppetry festival all over London and with spin-off shows by companies from abroad in many regions. 'Puppet Theatre 84'

• A year of intense activity. The centre is now funded by the Arts Council of Great Britain, Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), Greater London Council, Wandsworth Borough Council, The British Council, Television Fund. 
• Project funding comes from the Greater London Arts Association, The Gulbenkian Foundation, The Crafts Council, The Chase Charity. 
• Staffing: General Secretary (part-time), Administrator (full-time), Technical Officer (part-time), Administration Assistant (part-time), Education Officer (full-time). This post was suspended when Manpower Services funding ceased, but alternative funding offered by the ILEA ensured a replacement in August 1983 
• Publications of four instructional leaflets
• Professional development bursary (3rd year). Regular frequent courses, masterclasses (13), workshops
• Exhibition ‘The Art Of Lotte Reiniger’, puppets and puppetry, travelling exhibition venues from Scotland to the south of England
• Planning underway for a second major international festival to be held in 1984 in London and beyond
• Help services to professionals on all aspects of their work. Puppet Centre is by now able to put them in touch with experts of all kinds. Indirectly the work of the centre is responsible for the manifest increase in employment opportunities for professionals. Information and study facilities are offered to a constant stream of visitors and correspondents. 
• Wellington Street premises – Puppet Centre’s proposal is deemed acceptable to the GLC and the Covent Garden committee. Fundraising is initiated for the project

The Gulbenkian Foundation

The Crafts Council

• Arts Council, after representation from the Puppet Centre which argues that its services are vital to the sector and irreplaceable without funding, decides to continue its revenue grant
• Education Officer in great demand and the EP Unit is able to achieve many objectives only possible with a full-time appointment
• Friends of the Puppet Centre scheme introduced
• Puppet Centre initiates talks with British Actors’ Equity Association to secure puppeteers’ status and protection as theatre artists
• ‘Animations’ doubles its number of pages
• ‘Directory of Professional Puppeteers’ (5th edition) published
• Video library introduced with permanent loan of a camera, recorder and monitor. Minibus acquired, donated from the ITV Telethon Fund, ‘Thames Help Trust’. Puppet Centre now able to transport materials for workshops and exhibitions etc, around Britain. Second grant from the Crafts Advisory Committee to commission a second set of figures for the travelling exhibition 
• Exhibition ‘Puppets and Puppetry’ at Battersea Library
• Feasibility study funded by puppeteers for the use of the premises as a national centre owned by the GLC in Wellington Street, Covent Garden
• Professional development bursary scheme (2nd year)

Craft Council

• BAC forced to close but Puppet Centre remains open with a separate side entrance to the building 
• Puppeteers’ Day inaugurated as an annual forum for social networking and professional debate
• Education and Therapy Unit holds open meetings at London Drama and Tape Centre where there is now a Puppet Centre Resource Centre
• Staffing - Education Officer appointed (full-time)
• Two bursaries for further professional development by experienced puppeteers established; funded by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Arts Council Great Britain to be administered by the Puppet Centre. Funding now also received from The Television Fund
• ‘Animations’ is now well established and respected internationally. Reviews of productions introduced to encourage serious criticism
• ‘Directory of Professional Puppeteers’ (4th edition) published

Battersea Arts Centre

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Arts Council England

• Federation with the Educational Puppetry Association which becomes the Education and Therapy Unit of the Puppet Centre
• Staffing - Administrator (full-time); General Secretary (part-time) 
• ‘Directory of Professional Puppeteers’ (3rd edition) published
• ‘How To Run A Puppet Workshop’ (booklet by the education unit) published
• Travelling exhibition - first stage completed with grant aid from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Crafts Advisory Committee
• International festival ‘Puppet Theatre 79’ organised in close collaboration with the Puppet and Model Theatre Guild and UNIMA. Staged in venues throughout London and with widespread peripheral regional events. 50,000 people attended the performances and exhibitions. It promoted a strong image of contemporary puppet theatre and enjoyed extensive press coverage

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Crafts Advisory Committee

Puppet and Model Theatre Guild

British UNIMA

• Puppet Centre is now firmly established in Britain and abroad as the national reference centre for all aspects of puppetry
• Puppet Centre is invited as an official representative of British puppet theatre to the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on the occasion of the Erasmus Awards, that year given to a small number of outstanding puppet companies
• ‘Animations’ – a review of puppets and related theatre (bi-monthly magazine) first published in December 1977
• ‘Puppets and Therapy’ (book) published with plays including ‘In New York’. Book sales introduced
• ‘Directory of Professional Puppeteers’ (2nd edition) published. Workshops include a holiday week in collaboration with BAC

• ‘…a wonderful centre that exceeds all our hopes…’ Geoggrey Hodson, Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) Senior Inspector for Drama
• ‘…we do receive wonderful co-operation from the Puppet Centre, whose aim it is to give help wherever it can in all fields of puppetry. The centre has helped us repeatedly…’ Jan Bussell, President of UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionnette)
• Advisory work was undertaken during 1977 (including for Arts Council Great Britain and the British Council). Invitations to represent puppet theatre on the boards/committees of International Association of Theatres for Children and Young People (ASSITEJ), NCTYP, GLAA and London Drama
• Master classes and after-school workshops were initiated. The festival, ‘Puppets Plus’, for London schools and colleges began, culminating in an exhibition and performances at County Hall

British UNIMA

• Grant Aid received from the Arts Council Great Britain (ACGB), the Greater London Arts Association, the British Council, the Greater London Council, the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) and Wandsworth Borough. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation funding continues
• Crafts Advisory Committee funds the commissioning of exemplary puppet figures from the most excellent puppet craftsmen/women, for exhibition, demonstration and practice
• Staffing - Organising Secretary (full-time), Administration Assistant and Technical/Workshop Officer (part-time). Showcase performances initiated
• A festival of puppets was created in collaboration with BAC (performances, exhibition, workshops, etc). Puppet Centre also organised an exhibition in Sadler’s Wells’ foyer called ‘Puppets – A Theatre Art’. Plans now begin to get underway for a touring exhibition
• The ‘Directory of Professional Puppeteers’ (1st edition) was published by Puppet Centre and circulated to potential bookers
• A festival of puppets was created in collaboration with BAC (performances, exhibition, workshops, etc). Puppet Centre also organised an exhibition in Sadler’s Wells’ foyer called ‘Puppets – A Theatre Art’. Plans now begin to get underway for a touring exhibition

British Council

Sadlers' Wells

• During 1975 Puppet Centre developed its internal framework, and created a number of workshops and courses
• Staffing - Organising Secretary, Penny Francis (full-time) and Administrative Secretary Gillie Robic (part-time). The Gulbenkian insisted that the staff were paid
• Courses initiated - Adult education (2 evenings a week); Weekend puppetry in education and/or special needs courses; Weekend specialist aspects (e.g. Manipulation); Occasional seminars and special evenings; Schools workshops Family workshops

• Puppet Centre's first funding was received from Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation for 3 years’ centre management
• Funding was also received from Inner London Education Authority (ILEA), Greater London Council (GLC) and Wandsworth Borough Council
• Reference and study facilities were established. The library consisted of the educational puppetry association collection, the Erwin Hauser collection (donated by his widow), Wandsworth Borough Library’s small specialist collection
• Arts Council of Great Britain announces for the first time recognition of puppetry as a theatre art worthy of funding: ‘the establishment and success of the trust was a major factor in the change of Arts Council policy’ Sir Hugh Willatt, Secretary General, ACGB

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Wandsworth Borough Council

• Official opening of Battersea Community Arts Centre and the Puppet Centre by Hugh Jenkins, minister for the arts
• Previous to this in 1965 Battersea Borough was absorbed into Wandsworth and the building was threatened with demolition. Plans were drawn up by the new council to build a library and a swimming pool in its place. A local campaign was formed to save the building, resulting in a Grade II* listing and a new community arts centre. In 1980 Jude Kelly became the first Artistic Director of BAC. Jude believed that when you are working in a space that has a human history, it is important to engage with that past and to treat the building with authenticity: ‘In an historical context your obligation is to pick up the ropes of the previous generation, where they have laid down ideas and struggled to change. Your obligation is to keep that going.’ Jude Kelly

Battersea Arts Centre