I now offer shadow puppetry workshops and projects, following the success of The Light Works Project which I devised and ran last year in Bristol. It’s a very accessible art form – participants make their puppet then create a performance with its shadow using a lit screen. It gives beautiful and dramatic results with little skill or knowledge and children (and adults) love the simplicity and theatricality of it!

It’s a great medium for storytelling and really comes into its own during the autumn and winter when it’s nice to shine a light in the darkness, and tell tales of witches, wizards, 1001 nights and  halloween spooks!

List of Workshops

One day drop in:  Participants get to make a simple shadow puppet from black card and coloured acetate and then create a performance with it against a lit screen. They can see what effects are possible by the way they manipulate their puppet, and it introduces them to the science of light. One day drop-ins are great for museums, libraries, galleries, schools and also community events, festivals etc. Great for children and family engagement. Price £200, including all materials and equipment.

One day booked:  These are pre-booked, for up to twelve participants, and can be 2 or 3D style (see below for more info about 3D shadow puppetry). Children stay for the day, bringing a packed lunch and snacks etc, and by the end of the day have created their own shadow puppet character and made up a joint story which is filmed. The final film is then made available online so that participants can share their creation with friends and family. Lots of fun and very creative! These workshops are ideal for museums, libraries and galleries and other institutions that want to engage and develop their appeal to children. Price £250, including all materials and equipment

Four to six day projects:  Aimed at schools in particular, these projects are great if you want in-depth learning and other benefits such as improving verbal, written and visual literacy, increasing confidence and developing teamwork. Over the course of the project the participants will invent and make their own shadow puppet characters, work as a team to write a story, make their own backgrounds, then perform their show to their peers, and friends and family.  Groups work best with a minimum of ten participants and a maximum of thirty. Prices start at £500 for four days and £700 for six days. More details available on request.

3D Shadow Puppetry

Shadow Animation