Developing puppetry skills at MTGS

Since 2011 we've incorporated puppets into our courses—from hand puppets to animatronics—culminating in our annual puppet festival.

Developing Puppetry

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Puppets, performances and festivals

How we incorporate puppetry into our courses:

Making Theatre Gaining Skills has integrated puppetry into its courses since 2011, with participants designing and constructing puppets ranging from basic hand puppets to complex animatronic figures for use in performances.

Building on this foundation, MTGS established the Bognor Puppet Festival in 2021. This annual event showcases plays, workshops and street theatre to entertain and delight families, featuring some of the UK’s most talented puppeteers while providing a platform for our leaners to showcase their work. The festival has featured companies including:

  • Smoking Apples Theatre, Dread Falls Theatre
  • Touched Theatre, Norwich Puppet Theatre
  • Long Nose Puppets, Splodge Designs
  • Little Angel Theatre, PuppetSoup
Click the video above to watch our latest show: Mouse on a Mission.

Mouse on a Mission! 🧀

A collaborative production by our traineeship team:

Our trainees and community course participants came together to create this charming story about Daisy mouse, whose home faces danger, and Henry mouse, who believes he’s too old and tired to lend a helping hand. The production follows the adventures of the Mouse-spotters as they track down this tale of friendship and determination.

The team incorporated multiple creative techniques into their storytelling, including stop-motion film sequences, live puppetry, character masks, and interactive elements that invited audiences to become part of Daisy and Henry’s journey. The production was directed by Darren East, our creative director and award-winning puppetry specialist, who guided the collaborative creative process.

Coming soon: The team is currently developing a festive sequel that will continue the mouse adventures with a seasonal twist—keep an eye on our events page!

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