Chichester Festival Theatre (CFT) is launching a new six-week puppetry training programme aimed at complete beginners, in a bid to widen access to the craft on the South Coast.
The Puppetry Academy at CFT will run full-time from 18 January to 6 March 2027, offering 15 adults the chance to learn the foundations of puppet-making and performance.
The pilot course has been developed in consultation with Curious School of Puppetry and Puppetry in Motion, the company co-founded by Olivier Award-nominated puppetry director and designer Toby Olié, whose credits include The BFG and Running Wild.
Dale Rooks, CFT’s Director of Learning, Education and Participation, said: “Supporting the next generation of theatre-makers is at the heart of CFT’s commitment to being creatively ambitious; investing in live, creative storytelling feels more important than ever.”
The course will be led by co-directors Ashleigh Cheadle and Josie Daxter, with visiting practitioners contributing across the six weeks.
Fred Davis, now an Olivier Award-winning actor and puppeteer, is among the alumni of Chichester Festival Youth Theatre (CFYT) who have gone on to work in the field.
Davis first discovered puppetry through a CFYT workshop, which led to a role in Running Wild, a youth production that transferred to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
The theatre recently introduced a puppetry strand for CFYT, and the new academy is presented as the next step in that work, extending training opportunities to adults in the south of England.
Places on the course cost £300, although bursaries are available for people who wouldn't be able to participate due to financial reasons.
The Puppetry Academy at CFT has been made possible by the philanthropic support of Liz Juniper.
Applications opened on 30 October and close at 5pm on 16 November.
More details are available at cft.org.uk/jobs/puppetry-academy-at-cft. For further information, contact Stephanie McKelvey-Aves, Marketing & Communications Manager, at stephanie.mckelvey-aves@cft.org.uk.
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