An entry · Work · Life
Puppeteer
Wood and string and a person hidden behind it, and somehow the puppet is alive.
From curious to committed
Your first steps.
A first visit can be enough. It can also be the beginning.
Meet the craft
A small theatre or a street pitch; take a child, or just go.
Explore experiences →Give it another afternoon
Notice what you want to come back to. Ask the teacher what regular practice would look like, and what support you would need.
Keep a note for next time →See the working day
Puppet theatres take apprentices to build, rehearse, and tour.
Explore ways into the work →These are starting points. A workshop is not a professional qualification. Entry requirements and recognised training depend on the work and the country.
Before you walk in
A few things worth asking the host before you book.
- Is this session suitable for someone who has never tried it?
- What should I bring, wear or prepare?
- What is included, and are there any extra costs?
- Can you accommodate my access needs?
- What could I try next if I enjoy it?
Teach this craft? Share what beginners ask you →
Work it
Do the work.
Jobs, apprenticeships, and training that put a person in the room.
Ways in
- Route in
Learn under a company
Puppet theatres take apprentices to build, rehearse, and tour.
- Course
Puppetry course or festival
Schools and festivals teach construction and manipulation.
- Route in
Build your own and perform
Many puppeteers start by making a puppet and finding a pitch.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasLive it
Live the hour.
Experiences, classes, and places where the presence is the whole point.
Ways in
- Visit
See a puppet show
A small theatre or a street pitch; take a child, or just go.
- Workshop
Puppet-making workshop
Build a simple puppet and learn to give it a life.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasWhy the human is the point
A puppet is obviously not alive, and yet, in the right hands, a whole room forgets that. The puppeteer pours attention and breath and timing into carved wood until an audience believes, and children stop breathing, and adults are surprised to feel something. It is one of the oldest kinds of magic, and it works only because a person is back there, lending a lifeless thing their own aliveness. No screen has ever made you believe quite like a human behind a curtain.
Kept nearby
