Work
Puppet Centre - promoting, developing and connecting puppetry in England
Puppet Centre exists to promote and celebrate the art of puppetry to the general public. This means that we want to share with you stories about great puppetry, and interesting things that happen in the world of puppetry. We also advocate and lobby on behalf of the art form and try to help people understand how this extraordinary art form happens.
Our vision is for the puppetry sector to be thriving: well resourced, with excellent training, growing audiences, good networks, supportive venues, critical debate, artistic stimulation, cross-art form and commercial opportunities. We plan to take a collaborative lead in making this a reality.
Contact us if you would like to talk about how we can work together to raise the profile of puppetry.
Over the years Puppet Centre has played many different roles in supporting and developing the art of puppetry.
Here you can find some pages of history about our first 40 years, from 1974 to 2014, and here also is a link to some of our past activity.
In 2016 and 2017 we were at the heart of a new vision for how the puppetry sector could be supported. We initiated a review into the needs of the art form, “Working Together to Strengthen Puppetry”, in collaboration with Arts Council England. That led to a new consortium being established in which leading members of the active puppetry community met across a year to discuss what initiatives might be of most help to working puppeteers, companies and venues.
We’re committed to working with other puppetry organisations to make life better for puppeteers. Our role in that collaboration is to communicate.
Madam Butterfly. Photograph (c) ENO/Thomas Bowles – puppetry by Blind Summit
Connect
Puppet Centre wants to help create and more regular ways for puppeteers to make contact, share information, network, and learn from each other. We’re part of a sector-wide initiative called Puppet Gatherings where puppeteers and enthusiasts can meet and chat about puppetry. Over social media we try to connect artists with audiences by sharing the best images and clips from shows.
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to see this content.
The Firework Maker’s Daughter co-produced by The Opera Group and Opera North in association with ROH2 and Watford Palace Theatre, photographer: Robert Workman
Animations Online
Puppet Centre’s magazine Animations is an online publication, that provides reviews, articles and blog entries and is added to regularly and our popular newsletter will come out monthly.
Our Library
Puppet Centre has an extensive library of puppetry related books housed in the library of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (RCSSD). Please see the link below for further details on how this can be accessed.
All He Fears by Movingstage Marionette Company
Support us
Puppet Centre’s board and staff are volunteers. We are a registered charity. We hope to be more active in developing our aims and if you would like to make a donation or set up a legacy to support Puppet Centre, please contact us.
The Trench by Les Enfants Terribles, photographer: Janica Honey