Shadow Puppetry Workshops

 Watch as your drawings leap to life, off the page and onto the stage! 

This workshop is an introduction to the artform of shadow puppetry. It is an exploration of this hands-on storytelling medium that is highly accessible to young people. The outcomes are immediate; allowing children to build characters and their worlds quickly, achieving a lot in a short period of time. In this workshop, students are led through the process of imagining and designing their own unique puppet characters. They are then guided through the steps of realising their designs, and cutting and crafting their own individual puppets. In the shorter version of the workshop, students are acquainted with the techniques of performing with their puppets, and get to have a taste of performing on the shadow screen. In the longer version, students work together in small groups to write their own shows. With an experienced shadow puppeteer to a reveal a few tricks of the trade, they then have the opportunity to perform their shows to the group on a real shadow puppet screen.

Children will leave the workshop with their own shadow puppet, and the skills to develop their own shows.

Duration: 60 or 90 mins

Recommended ages: 4 – 12 years

All materials provided.