Puppet Classes
School Puppetry Workshops
We have a new name, but the same mission to “Empower Lives through the Arts”. One of the ways we have done this is to offer affordable workshops in school classrooms. We find this is a great way to give youth of all income levels a chance to enjoy the benefits of hands- on art.
Right now, we have added staff enabling us to double our outreach and provide workshops to 3-4 more schools. We have over 30 years of experience in working with teachers in the classroom and are familiar with working within curriculum guidelines. Our goal is to provide a fun confidence building experience that also challenges students to use critical thinking , team work, effective social skills, and active storytelling. We are also working on workshops for interested teachers in the many different types of recycled puppets they could try and present by themselves (or with added help just for collecting the supplies or recycled materials.) The attached pages include a visual of some of the many puppet types.
Why Puppets? Puppet making can be fun and lends itself to:
Promoting storytelling and language skills in a fun way
Offering a creative hands-on opportunity, letting students see their ideas materialize before their eyes
Teaching recycling, basic art concepts, and crafting skills
Involving otherwise shy students that can use the puppet to help them participate.
Giving each student their own unique puppet to use and keep.
We provide:
1. A 25-30 minute history of puppets, reviewing world cultural values and stories, and
demonstrating puppet maneuvers. Most youth get excited and look forward to their own puppet
making/storytelling after this.
2. A Puppet making experience that can be done in 1 to 2 hours. (Depending on puppet type).
3. Flexible help with curriculum identification/planning and puppet choices for desired storytelling.
4. All the needed materials and supplies prepped and ready to go. And step by step instructions.
5. A portable stage for performing. Help with props.
6. Optional additional help with practicing and performing .
Costs: We wish we could provide this for free- But some grant money has been made available to offer reduced costs. Fees depend on the amount of materials needing to be prepped and amount of instruction ( hours) requested. We can offer programs for $75 up to $200 per day or for $4 to $7 per student. We also have often planned multiday school visits to reach all students in a particular grade level. Enhance learning, make school time memorable while developing hands-on and interactive social skills. Give students something that they can show off to their parents and families. Most of the students we see are eager to make their own puppet and keep them for a long time.
We are scheduling now for full school year and as spots are available throughout the year. Teachers may contact our Puppetry Coordinator, Susan Neidert, directly at 435-730-2487, send an email inquiry to sn4bcpuppets@aol.com.
Puppet Workshop
Puppet Workshop
Ages 16 to Adults
Mondays 6:30 - 8:30 pm, 8 weeks: October 12 - November 30
2 payments of $50 each
Discover the art of puppetry in this hands-on workshop designed for aspiring puppet makers and performers of all skill levels. Students will learn everything from simple puppet construction to more advanced building techniques while exploring the many creative possibilities puppetry has to offer.
Participants will create their own unique puppets, develop performance skills, and gain experience using puppet stages and sound equipment to bring their characters to life. The workshop also includes dedicated maker time, allowing students to experiment, refine their creations, and unleash their imagination in a fun and supportive environment.
Whether you're interested in performing, crafting, storytelling, or all three, this workshop is the perfect place to build new skills and let your creativity shine.
$100 includes all materials and maker time (2 payments of $50)
Instructor Susan Neidert
Puppet Performance Team
Ages 12-18
Thursdays 6:00 - 8:00pm , October 15th-December 17th
2 payments of $25 all materials included
Take your puppetry skills to the next level by joining our Puppet Performance Team! Designed for teens who enjoy performing, storytelling, and working behind the scenes, this class offers hands-on experience in every aspect of bringing a puppet production to life.
Students will learn advanced puppet performance techniques, explore the art of storytelling, help design and build props, and develop strong stage presence through collaborative rehearsals and productions. Team members will also have opportunities to perform for audiences throughout the year, gaining valuable experience in theater, communication, creativity, and teamwork.
Whether you dream of performing on stage, creating unforgettable characters, or helping produce engaging shows, the Puppet Performance Team is a fun and rewarding way to build confidence, develop theater skills, and make lasting friendships.
Instructor: Susan Neidert
Other Advanced workshops available
For more information contact our Puppet Program Coordinator, Susan @ Mobile:435-730-2487 or email at sn4bcpuppets@aol.com. Or schedule an appointment to visit us at 435-723-0740
Puppet Guild
Become a Member of the brand new Puppet Guild
For Parents, teachers, puppet enthusiasts, and wanna-be puppeteers. Connect to fun aspects of Henson foundation and National Puppetry Arts Expertise.
Monthly activities held on Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings, Please call if you are interested.
Membership good for
* One year of monthly meetings
* Free admission to Master Puppet Making sessions
* 4 - 5 Saturday morning make-and-take family activities
Yearly Membership: $40
Yearly Family Membership: $45
Call 435-723-0740 to join the Puppet Guild
Puppetry workshops & Custom Puppet building
School Puppetry Workshops
Check out our school puppetry workshops- We also have the ability to do outdoor shows and workshops in the summer.
* We can manage 15 to 30 students at a time with 1 ½ to 5 hour programming.
* We include a brief review of puppetry history and demonstrate different types of puppets used around the world.
* Come workshop at our World of Puppetry Museum or if less than 50 miles we can bring supplies and our travel kit of puppet examples to you.
We have perfected group puppet making of several different types of puppets- many from recycled materials. Our puppetry workshops include helping teachers identify curriculum connections, providing stories and scripts that meet their needs, and collecting all needed supplies. We also provide all needed tools (like hot glue guns and scissors), step by step puppet making instruction, and as desired stages and help directing performances
We find puppetry to be powerful way to introduce art, storytelling and creativity to students. We find that our workshops with hands-on creation of a puppet offer students the chance to explore, invent, and find ways to creatively express feelings and character. With puppets they get to try out different puppet facial features, clothing styles and puppet size props, an art experience that is not readily available in schools anymore.
We find puppetry students are often motivated to improve reading fluency and comprehension as they work to portray a story with their puppet character. Puppets enable shy students to step out of their comfort zone and add to their social skills. Lastly, bringing this kind of workshop into school classrooms helps students of all different backgrounds and economic levels to not only experience the creative process, but learn some cultural history and appreciate being part of a group effort. We also are an outside influence that can offer positive reinforcement for a student’s efforts. Feel free to call or email us for questions.
Workshops range from $125 to $300 depending on number and age of students, the size of puppets, cost of materials and amount of additional help desired.
For more information call Susan at 435-730-2487. Or email SN4bcpuppets@aol.com.
Our puppetry goals in the year ahead include offering more school workshops, more weekly after school or Saturday puppet making classes, more regular family oriented puppet shows on Friday or Saturday afternoons, puppet podcasts with larger than life: Marva, and at least one more big puppet production in the spring.
Coming Soon: Workshop sample description.
custom puppet building
Custom Puppet building
If you are interested in making a custom puppet or
in commissioning a custom made puppet please contact our Puppetry Director:
Susan Neidert
435-723-0740 or 435-730-2487
Our Impact
Find out how we've made a difference in the community and the lives of those we serve. We are committed to improving the lives of others.
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A Photo Story of Puppets
