Puppetry at the Turner School Artist and Writers Festival
Last week, I had the joy of bringing puppetry to the Turner School’s Artist and Writers Festival — a celebration of creativity, storytelling, and imagination. Over several days, I performed, taught, and inspired students and teachers alike through the magical world of puppetry.
Setting up before a puppet show, getting ready to meet a whole lot of kids at Turner Primary!
Puppet Shows for Preschool–Year 4
Every student from preschool to Year 4 was invited to experience one of my puppet shows. After the performance, I gave them a rare behind-the-scenes look, lifting the curtain on the “secrets” of puppetry — from hidden magnets and strings to how I change my voice for each character. The students were buzzing with curiosity, asking questions I hadn’t even thought of myself!
Hands-On Puppet Workshops
Each class also took part in a practical puppetry workshop. I introduced them to different puppet styles and techniques, including hand puppet manipulation, lip-syncing, character voices, and imaginative play. The room was alive with laughter, discovery, and lots of wiggling puppet characters finding their personalities.
Teacher Professional Learning
It wasn’t just the students who got to learn. I also ran a professional learning session for teachers, accredited for 2 TQI hours. In this workshop, teachers explored how to design and deliver shadow puppet programs for their classrooms. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting on how practical, fun, and instantly usable the techniques were. Several even began applying the ideas with their students the very next day.
A Festival of Creativity
The Turner School Artist and Writers Festival was a wonderful reminder of how puppetry connects across ages — sparking joy, curiosity, and creativity. I feel honoured to have been part of this vibrant community event and can’t wait to see what the students and teachers create next.
Book a puppet show, workshop of teacher program for your school!