COMMUNITY EVENTS
What is our Community work?
Our community work is a range of workshops and events that use puppetry to bring people together.
We create a safe and welcoming space to discover puppetry before guiding participants through a wide range of exercises that focus on building positive relationships and group creativity. These sessions end with a group sharing of the performances created.​ Our community events are suitable for ages 10+, with mixed age group sessions possible.
Who are these events suitable for?
Perfect for art centres and festivals, community programmers, community engagement, amateur dramatic societies, youth theatres, team building events, corporate and private events.
PAST EVENTS
ACS Partnership Steam 2025
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We were absolutely thrilled to be a part of this year's STEAM event!
This education scheme created by ACS International Schools improves the career prospects of school children in the science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics sectors. An estimated 10,000 students attended the event from 87 schools across Surrey, Kent, London, Essex and Berkshire.
Throughout the day, over 60 companies and organisations offered educational activities, creative opportunities, live music performances and more. Students attended activities to earn stamps, allowing them to go on the park rides. Animate hosted an all-day drop-in puppetry workshop and performed 3 Bella walkabouts.
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"Bella was absolutely fantastic and clearly a hit with the students, we saw so many smiling faces around your area. Thank you again for helping make the event a success. We would love to have you involved again in the future" Jen Barker, Partnerships Event Manager
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"Thanks so much for being so brilliant!" Lucy Key, Performing Perfectly
Walking and Wheeling Festival 2025
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Animate Puppet Co featured in the Eastleigh Borough Council and Sustrans 'Walking and Wheeling Festival'. Created to encourage more people to walk within the Eastleigh Borough, local organisations and artists led 30 different walks/activities across 30 days. Animate hosted relaxed social walks and puppetry workshops on the newly-built Boorley Green Estate during August and September.​​​
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"I really enjoyed making the puppets and working with other people. I really appreciated your input so thank you very much" event attendee
Annual Partnership with Parker Puppetry​​: we love teaming up with Parker Puppetry for our annual 'The Big Puppetry Event'. Our partnership creates a unique and exciting workshop offer full of exciting challenges in a supportive environment that helps you to get the most out of your day. This workshop involves Hand and Rod puppetry, 3 person paper people, 2 person handkerchief puppets, Object manipulation making creatures, and A 'Working in the Industry' Q&A with special guest speaker.
"I had an incredible experience at Animate Puppet Co and Parker Puppetry’s workshop! From the moment I walked in, it was clear that this is a space where creativity and fun come to life. The atmosphere was welcoming, playful, and inclusive, making it the perfect environment to learn and expand my knowledge of puppeteering" Morgan Ellis, actor​
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Next workshop: TBC​. Follow Animate and Parker Puppetry on socials for announcements on the next workshop date and details!​
Hampshire Cultural Trust​​: Animate partnered with Hampshire Cultural Trust at the West End Centre to be a part of their 'Children's Festival'. This workshop was full of theatre games, activities, and puppetry fun, culminating in a public showing of the pieces created for family and friends!
“Thank you to Stephen and Animate for delivering a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable community workshop during our Children’s Festival. Extremely professional from planning to delivery, and able to adapt quickly to a brand new group with participants who had never met before. I hope you are able to deliver more workshops with the West End Centre in the future, and would highly recommend Animate for community workshops” Alana Long, Community Programmes Manager at the West End Centre
Studio Theatre Salisbury: Animate visited the Studio Theatre in Salisbury to host a workshop for their amateur dramatics society. The group wanted to explore using puppetry in a future show!
“Everyone at Studio Theatre had a marvellous time and very much appreciated your expertise and encouragement. I love that it worked equally well across the age ranges and different levels of ability” Lesley, workshop participant
Theatre Royal Winchester: Animate has visited the Theatre Royal's Youth Theatre group two years running to introduce their members to various styles of puppetry.
Nottingham Puppetry Festival 2024: Animate visited the Nottingham Puppetry Festival to host 'Introduction to Puppetry' workshops for member of the public throughout the day. Animate worked with 75 people across 3 workshops: children aged 6 - 9, teenagers aged 12 - 15, and adults.
