Puppetry Magic at the National Museum of Australia – A Sold-Out Success!
Last week I had the absolute honour of returning to the National Museum of Australia to lead a series of sold-out puppetry workshops in celebration of the brand-new Mr Squiggle and Friends exhibition. Across five joyful days, more than 200 children and their families joined me to make, move, and perform puppets together.
Marianne at the National Museum of Australia after her sold out workshops in puppet making for young people
For me, this collaboration felt like coming home. From 2012 to 2017, I had the privilege of working with the NMA on seven major public programs, sharing puppetry through performances, installations, and interactive workshops. To be invited back in 2025—especially for the Mr Squiggle launch—was deeply meaningful. Like so many Australians, I grew up with Mr Squiggle, and he was a huge inspiration for me becoming a puppeteer.
Workshops for All Ages
The week kicked off with Make, Move, Perform workshops for ages 5–9. In six one-hour sessions, children crafted colourful paper marionettes, learned the basics of puppet manipulation, and saw marionettes come to life right before their eyes.
For the older group, our Marionette Makers workshops (ages 10–15) offered a deeper dive. Over two sessions, participants designed, built, and performed with their own scarf marionettes in a two-hour immersive experience. The creativity and ingenuity that emerged was nothing short of inspiring.
Bringing Puppets to Life
Each workshop began with a live demonstration of puppetry styles, including some of my own handmade creations and a treasured collection of hand-carved wooden marionettes—some over 100 years old—that were generously entrusted to me by the wife of a late puppeteer. Sharing these pieces of history with a new generation was incredibly special.
I also performed my original Woo Pee Woo marionette act, choreographed with master puppeteer Philip Huber (USA) back in 2013, accompanied by music I wrote and recorded myself. Watching the children’s faces light up as the puppet danced was a highlight of the week.
Moments to Remember
Our workshops took place in a state-of-the-art studio, complete with a top-down camera and large screen so every child could clearly follow along with the instructions. The space was filled with laughter, imagination, and lots of proud puppet-makers. Families gathered for photos at the end of each session, and some children even asked for my autograph—such a heartwarming reminder of how deeply puppetry connects with people.
Marianne teaching her Paper Marionette workshop
Promotional image curtesy of the National Museum of Australia
Promotional image curtesy of the National Museum of Australia
Missed Out? Create at Home!
If you weren’t able to join us at the museum, you can still enjoy a little puppetry magic at home. I’ve made my Paper Marionette design available as a free download here (or below), and I’ll be sharing an instruction video very soon so you can follow along step by step.
Looking Ahead
The success of these July workshops has been so wonderful that I’ve been invited back to the National Museum of Australia for more puppetry fun during the September/October school holidays. I can’t wait to return, reconnect, and keep sharing the joy of puppetry with even more families.
It was an unforgettable week of creativity, performance, and celebration. I’m so grateful to the National Museum of Australia for hosting these workshops, to the families who joined us, and of course, to Mr Squiggle—whose legacy continues to inspire young dreamers (and puppeteers like me) decades on.
This is a printable design to help you to create your own paper marionette! As seen/taught at the July School Holiday workshops at the National Museum of Australia in 2025.
For best results, print this on thick card (300gsm) or print on paper and glue to some thin cardboard, such as a cereal box.
Colour in and decorate your puppet, cut it out, add paper fasteners, string and a stick to manipulate your puppet!
Video instructions coming soon (stay tuned to this page and social media)!
Please note this is a digital download and not a physical product. PDF download is formatted to suit A4 paper.
Free download.