WHAT’S ON
The best way to keep up-to-date with What’s On at Puppet Place is to follow us on our social media channels, which are currently: Instagram & Facebook. We no longer produce an e-Newsletter as we don’t have the capacity to produce one on a regular basis or to manage a mailing list.
CANCELLED – Thursday 14 August: Shark Night: Popcorn & Puppets – Deep Blue Sea – CANCELLED
An exclusive, jawsome night of film, art, and fundraising fun as Puppet Place opens its doors to celebrate sharks and creativity!
Dive into a fin-tastic evening of film, fun, and fundraising with a special screening of Deep Blue Sea at Puppet Place. Puppet Place are the artists behind the Predator sculpture part of Gromit Unleashed 3 trail.
Saturday 16 August: Stop-Motion Taster Day
Try out a range of stop motion animation styles: from claymation to sand on glass, with Puppet Place Resident Artists Helena Houghton and Jonathan Eve.
Stop Motion Animation Taster Day – £35
Saturday 16 August 2025, from 10am – 6pm
Age 18+
Breakdown of the day:
There will be a brief introduction to the princples of animation and we will demonstrate examples of work in the different styles you will be practising. We will have a total of four animation booths, working simultaneously, so we will ask you to pair up with a partner for each exercise.
We will cover the following:
– claymation
– paper puppets
– sand on glass
– puppet animation
Things to be aware of:
Please bring your own lunch (there are also a few options nearby – Orchard Inn pub sandwiches or deli counter and toasties at Spike Island Cafe).
The workshop will take place in the Rehearsal Studio at Puppet Place, BS1 6UT. You can access the space in a wheelchair but please bear in mind we do not have an accessible toilet, we apologise for the inconvenience.
To find out more about the workshop and to book your ticket visit:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stop-motion-animation-taster-day-tickets-1559454884539?
NEW DATE Saturday 13 September: Shadow Mechanism
Dive a bit deeper into the world of shadow puppetry with this day long intensive on the mechanisms that make shadow puppets move.
This is a hands-on course where participants will get to make their own shadow puppet mechanism, full puppets will not be built in this course, instead we focus on building mechanical systems that can be integrated into future puppets.
Facilitated by Puppet Place Resident Artist: Izzy Bristow, who is a puppet maker and educator with experience across the puppet spectrum, from the Muppets to life sized dinosaurs, from international tours to heirloom restoration there is little that puppetry has to offer that Izzy hasn’t seen.
As Izzy says: “Shadow Puppets became a special interest during the pandemic and I have spent a lot of my free time in the last 5 years learning about their history and how they are made. I love teaching about them and hope you learn to love them too!”
Taking place in the Puppet Place Joinery Shop. This workshop has been postponed from Saturday 7 June – new date to be confirmed soon!
This workshop is aimed at adults, young people and older children, but under 16 year old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Saturday 13 September, from 10am – 5pm. Doors at 9:45am
To find out more about the workshop and to book your ticket visit:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shadow-mechanism-tickets-1460708802349
PAST EVENTS (ARCHIVE)
Puppet Place Open Doors
Puppet Place opened its doors during the Bristol Harbour Festival, on Saturday 19 July 2025.
Both our Fabrication Workshop and Garden was open to visitors, and we ran puppetry demos, children’s workshops, and answered visitors’ puppet questions!
Some of our Resident Artists also ran some free workshops in our Rehearsal Studio:
- Children’s Stop Motion (Helena Houghton): Drop-in Workshop from 10:30 to 12:00.
- Circus Skills for ages 8+ (Alastair Fleming): Ticketed
- Marionettes for ages 12+ (Izzy B): Ticketed
Come to the Rehearsal Studio Entrance: universally.beyond.beard (what3words)
British UNIMA AGM & Networking Event
An Exclusive Opportunity for Networking, Insightful Talks, BrUNIMA AGM and Behind-the-Scenes Access – In Person or Online.
Puppet Place was delighted to host the British UNIMA AGM on Monday 30 June 2025 for an afternoon and evening of talks, demos, networking, funding opportunities and much more. This event offered a unique opportunity to engage with the puppetry community and experience inspiring talks, hands-on workshops, and exclusive behind-the-scenes tours.
This included a first looks at student showings, an unforgettable monitor night where participants played with puppets on camera, an inspiring talk by Jane Paterson and of course, the British UNIMA Annual General Meeting (AGM), featuring important updates and the launch of the Penny Francis Award and more…
For details of the Agenda and to RSVP follow this link – www.unima.org.uk/p/join-us-for-british-unima-at-puppet
RSVP by Monday 23 June – Confirm whether you’ll attend in person or stream the AGM online. Spaces are limited, RSVP early to secure your spot and access needs.
Magpie Rummage Sale
Puppet Place and Bath Carnival teamed up to offer excess materials and unusual treasures from the store rooms of both institutions.
From fabrics and foams to full costumes and tools, it was time for us to clear our shelves and share our hordes with the world!
Materials were offered by the bag starting at £5 and the proceeds were split between the two charities.
Individual costumes, props, puppets and tools will have price tags, and their sale will support the individual artist that provided that piece.
Over £500 was raised for Puppet Place Trust & Bath Carnival – thanks everyone!
Introduction to Shadow Puppets
This was a hands-on course where participants got to make their own shadow puppets and saw how they worked in a variety of shadow puppetry set ups.
Facilitated by Puppet Place Resident Artist: Izzy Bristow, who is a puppet maker and educator with experience across the puppet spectrum, from the Muppets to life sized dinosaurs, from international tours to heirloom restoration there is little that puppetry has to offer that Izzy hasn’t seen.
As Izzy says: “Shadow Puppets became a special interest during the pandemic and I have spent a lot of my free time in the last 5 years learning about their history and how they are made. I love teaching about them and hope you learn to love them too!”
Puppetry Panel Discussion + Q&A
Have you ever wondered about puppetry? Wondered what it takes to breathe life into a puppet? And how puppeteers got into their practice?
Guests joined us on Wednesday 23 April 2025 at Puppet Place HQ for the first of several Panel Discussions planned for 2025.
Panel speakers:
Carrot (Beanpig puppets / @beanpigpuppets) Carrot is a puppeteer, illustrator, performance artist painter, workshop facilitator, and muralist. Part of Beanpig puppets, a puppetry collective formed in 2019, that perform surrealist puppet shows.
Izzy B (@izzlebee)
Izzy B is a puppet maker and educator with experience across the puppet spectrum, from Muppets to life sized dinosaurs, from international tours to heirloom restoration, there is little puppetry has to offer that Izzy hasn’t seen.
Jasmine Orchard (Scarlet Oak Theatre / @scarletoaktheatre)
Jasmine is a freelance director, actor, puppeteer, director and producer. Part of Scarlet Oak Theatre, a Bristol based theatre company that creates exciting, original theatre for young people and their families.
The panel was chaired by Matt Gibbs and recorded by Jonathan Eve.
How To Structure, Develop & Build A Narrative With Emma Williams on 12 & 13 April 2025
This two-day workshop took place on Saturday 12 April and Sunday 13 April 2025.
What people learnt and came away with?
Participants came away with a selection of practical processes that can be used to build narratives from a range of starting points including images/themes/adaptations of stories.
Subjects covered included:
- The rules of a basic story structure.
- How to investigate an idea that can help create and frame material.
- What rules and guidance can be used when working without a linear narrative.
Participants also had the opportunity to share their own specific creative project.
Tickets for this two-day workshop cost:
£125 + booking fee (£100 + booking fee for students/low waged)
Email info@puppetplace.org if you’re interested in taking part in this workshop if we run it again in the future.
Puppet Place Winter Art & Craft Market
Back by popular demand, the Art & Craft Market is returned to Puppet Place on Sunday 24 November 2024.
Visitors were able to explore our building and purchase from a curated selection of 34 vendors from Bristol and beyond (see below for details). This included everything from live portraiture to handmade ceramics and personalised jewellery!
Plus work from Puppet Places own artists and walkabout acts throughout the day!
The Puppet Place Scratch Cabaret Fundraiser
The autumn Puppet Place Scratch Cabaret Fundraiser, which took place on Saturday 16 November 2024, was a great success with both performances completely sold out.
There were more than ten puppet based performances of all shapes and sizes, along with weird and wonderful happenings and walkabouts, all compered by the Big Bad Wolf!
Money raised from this fundraiser will be used by the Puppet Place Trust (charity) to update and upgrade its home at Unit 18 Albion Dockside Estate, to support teaching and outreach work from the building for both puppetry practitioners and Bristol’s communities. These updates include essential electrical upgrades and renovation of the building to create more and accessible spaces, for the benefit of our residents, associate artists, and other external individuals and companies that work in the building or hire the Rehearsal Studio and Fabrication Workshop.
Puppet Place Art & Craft Market
The first Puppet Place Art & Craft Market took place on Saturday 31 August. It was a wonderful day with 32 vendors selling a wide range of artwork and designer made items, with over 600 visitors. After receiving positive feedback from stall holders and guests we have decided to make the Art Market a quarterly event.
Harbour Festival Open Day
Puppet Place opened its doors on Saturday 20 July 2024 on the weekend of the Bristol Harbour Festival.
Visitors were allowed to explore the Fabrication Workshop to meet some of our puppets and the people that made them.
Bristol Puppet Monitor Night
Bristol Monitor Night on 11 May 2024 was a free puppet event open to anyone interested in puppetry, with any level of experience .
People were invited to try their hands at TV puppetry and were given the chance to see their puppets animated on a monitor screen.
It was such a well attended, successful event that we hope to host this event again in the early autumn.
The Puppet Place Scratch Cabaret Fundraiser
The Puppet Place Scratch Cabaret was a celebration of all things weird and wonderful.
On Saturday 27 April 2024 we hosted the first The Puppet Place Scratch Cabaret Fundraiser at Puppet Place HQ.
Compered by the famous Big Bad Wolf, there were puppets of all shapes and sizes and lots of silliness, with performances from Puppet Place Residents and Special Guests (see below for the full line up).
The event raised over £1,400 which will be used to support Puppet Place Trust Ltd (charity).
You can view a trailer for the Scratch Cabaret here. Big Thanks to Jonathan Eve for creating this film clip:
A big thank you to everyone involved, including:
– Saskia Tomlinson for making it happen;
– Bryony Harrison–Pettit our Stage Manager;
– James & Nat for tech, audio & lighting;
– Florence Scott for the poster design (as seen here);
– Bristol Old Vic for loaning the staging, Circomedia, Tobacco Factory and Spike Island for chairs and glasses and New Bristol Beer Company for the fridge and beer delivery;
– Our volunteers, who helped manage the event and worked the bar;
– And of course most importantly of all our Performers & Puppets who provided their time and talent for free!
Puppetry: How To Structure, Develop & Build A Narrative With Emma Williams
This two-day workshop took place on Saturday 10 & Saturday 17 February 2024 with participants exploring ways of creating successful narratives for puppetry.
They went away with a selection of practical processes that can be used to build narratives from a range of starting points including images/themes/adaptations of stories.
The workshop covered:
The rules of a basic story structure.
How to investigate an idea that can help create and frame material.
What rules and guidance can be used when working without a linear narrative.
Participants also had the opportunity to share their own specific creative project and they came away with the confidence and excitement to proceed with a project and some basic tools to develop it further.
The workshop ran over two days with a week in between to allow participants time for reflection and preparation for the second day.
Workshop Agenda
Day 1: Over the course of day one we will focus on two puppetry productions exploring the different techniques used in each show to develop the ideas.
Morning: Pinocchio – We will look at adaptations of existing stories and the fundamental rules of simple narratives. Participants will then have the opportunity to create and explore practically key scenes from Pinocchio asking, how does this drive the story.
Early afternoon: Big Boys Don’t Cry – Looking at what happens when the starting point is an idea rather than a story. I will outline the questions that helped create the material and the structure for the production Big Boys Don’t Cry. I will run with the participants’ examples of practical exercise and games that were useful.
Late afternoon: Participants will, working in groups, create visual material from a selection of the questions mentioned earlier in the afternoon and we will share the results as a group.
Day 2: This will be bespoke to the ideas and starting points that participants have brought with them.
Morning: Looking at ideas that have narratives already in place and how to adapt those for puppetry.
Afternoon: Looking at ideas that have a looser structure or no structure at all and exploring what kind of frame can hold the material.
We are keen to run this workshop again in the future so if you are interested get in touch via info@puppetplace.org to be added to the waiting list and if there’s enough interest we’ll arrange new dates later in the year.
This workshop was delivered by director, facilitator, dramaturg and writer Emma WIlliams.
Shadow Puppet Workshop, Saturday 11 November 2023
Izzy B is a freelance designer and maker of puppets based at Puppet Place on Bristol’s Harbourside, working mostly between the south-west of England, Atlanta Georgia and Denver Colorado.
In this six and a half hour course participants watched, built and played with shadow puppets on a variety of different screens and lighting rigs. Shadow puppetry is a versatile art that lends itself to cooperative play, so a workshop is an incredible way to become familiar with the craft for the first time or to expand an existing skill set.
This workshop maybe run again in early 2024 – please email info@puppetplace.org if you’d like to be placed on the waiting list.
September 2023 CREATIVE CAFE
We hosted a very special Creative Cafe on Thursday 7 September 2023 when special guest Richard Sewell spoke about Air Giants‘ wonderful creative robotic inflatable, pneumatically-controlled creatures and the technology and creative process that is involved in creating them. We watched some short videos of recent installations had the opportunity to experience one of the smaller inflatable robots up close and personal.
Richard Sewell is a roboticist, software engineer, maker of many things, and a co-founder of Air Giants. He’s interested in the simple pleasures to be found in interactions between people and machines, in experience design, in touch-based experiences, in play and in invitations to play. He’s also interested in robots of all sorts, in tools and gizmos and technical trickery.
Harbour Festival Open Doors 2023
Puppet Place opened its doors on the weekend of the Bristol Harbour Festival from Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th July 2023.
We invited visitors in to find out what puppetry entails and to see where and how puppets are fabricated.
Visitors were able to visit our Fabrication Workshop and Garden where we ran puppetry demos and children’s workshops!
Creative Cafes so far in 2023
Our first Creative Cafe of 2023 took place on Friday 13 January 2023 with special guest Anurupa Roy from Katkatha Puppets Art Trust in India and the second took place on Thursday 30 March with special guest Cat Rock talking about the Bristol 48h Puppet Film Challenge – follow the links below for more information.
Creative Cafe with special guest Anurupa Roy from Katkatha Puppets Art Trust in India
Creative Cafe with with special guest Cat Rock from the Bristol 48h Puppet Film Challenge
For more information about future Creative Cafes and workshops follow us on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
All Creative Cafes, courses and workshops take place at Unit 18 Albion Dockside Estate, Hanover Place, Bristol BS1 6UT unless otherwise stated.
N.B. Puppet Place only offers refunds in circumstances where a course, workshop or event is cancelled.
Our programme of events, classes and workshops support a range of ages and abilities. We welcome everyone to have a go, from the curious to the professional. Our education and outreach activity is growing so we encourage your ideas and feedback about what you’d like to have a play with.
Let us know what workshops you would like to see take place at Puppet Place
We’re conducting research for future workshops at Puppet Place and we’d love to hear your thoughts on what type of workshops you’d like to see available.
The survey should only take 5 minutes, and your responses are completely anonymous. Please click the link below to access the survey.
Complete our online WORKSHOP RESEARCH SURVEY here!
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