Puppetry & Mental Health

We believe puppetry can be a powerful tool for therapeutic expression and over the past 7 years, we have developed a sustained practice in this area.

This work brings together our skills in making puppet theatre and puppets, our understanding of contemporary practice in new technologies and performance and our commitment to giving voice to those who may find it difficult to or feel excluded from sharing their feelings. 

Our therapeutic projects include:

ArtAid

Our flagship puppetry and therapy project, supported by BBC Children in Need and run in partnership with Brighton and Hove Child and Adolescent Mental Health services.  This long -term creative project supports some of Brighton and Hove’s most vulnerable young people, including those who are in care, those or are at serious risk of self harming and those experiencing significant mental health challenges. Find more information here.

Puppets Gone Mad

A collaboration with Art in Mind, is a young-people-led organisation leading training in peer-supported mental health work. 

This product, over 6 months, produced 8 original puppet film shorts, using a dizzying array of style and pipet lagged, each illustrating a different approach to self-care in mental well being. 

This was a partnership with MIND, jointly leading a number of sessions exploring the ways puppets can be used to sports self advocacy for young people who were service users.
You can sample some of the film here.

Sussex Recovery College

We worked with Sussex Recovery College as part of the pilot of their Adult Puppetry Course.

(More information coming soon…)