Puppet Planet

Puppet Planet can host school trips and also arrange guided visits to relevant Exhibitions and Shows. Clowning,Mask,Storytelling and Puppetry workshops are available on and off-site. Members belong to Equity, Clowns International, Puppetry and Storytelling Guilds. Entertaining and educational performances are provided for inspiration and demonstration - these can include shadow,table-top marionette,object animation,glove puppet and Punch & Judy theatres (lighting and sound available). Encompassing traditional and innovative techniques, the sessions can be focussed to emphasise their cultural or therapeutic potential. Puppets can be bought or hired from the shop or website. Advice and recommendations are freely given. A qualified Life Coach can underpin the exploration of values and expression in drama workshops.

Resources provided	Puppets from different cultures around the world for sale or hire. Craft materials provided free for puppet-making workshops on or off-site. Masks, wigs and props available for drama workshops.
Resources required	Space for theatre, props and audience's storytelling carpets.
Professional Memberships	Equity, Clowns International, British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild, British Unima (Union Internationale de la Marionette), Society for Storytelling, Punch & Judy Fellowship, UK Reiki Federation
Other languages	French, German, Spanish
Fees	Basic fee £150.00 in Puppet Planet. Schools sessions from £200
Insurance	Artists registered with the organisation are insured.
CRB Disclosure	All personnel (and freelancers/artists) within the organisation who work directly with children and young people have had either a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure check within the last three years and can provide evidence of this on request. CRB checks DO NOT relieve you from your child protection responsibilities and duty of care towards children and young people. A criminal record shown on a disclosure does not prevent an artist appearing in the Directory, unless it is a schedule One offence under the Children and Young Person’s Act 1933. It is your responsibility to make adequate checks before employing LONSAS Associates and to implement a sufficient child protection policy. Click here for further information.

Photographic portrait collage exhibited at The National Portrait Gallery.

Lookalike Puppets made and operated for Bubble Theatre and Red TV, Alistair Darling marionette commissioned for C5 budget broadcast.

Lecture on Masks and Puppetry at The Slade School of Fine Art

Project 1

Clapham Manor School Years 2 and 3 Interactive Storytelling and Marionette Show.

Project 2

Broomwood Hall School Years 3 and 4 trip to Puppet Planet. Educational demonstration of forms of Puppetry and Drama Workshop.

Documents

• shop review

Broomwood Hall School

I have visited Lesley Butler at Puppet Planet with a two groups of school children aged 9 to 13 and been very impressed by the workshops she has organized for us.

Lesley is able to set up groups of children for craft making activities, inspiring them to create their own puppets out of everyday objects. She shows humour and imagination in her demonstrations and gives good practical help, showing a strong degree of understanding of how to manage and direct groups of children with a pedagogical goal. Her being organized and well prepared is key to this.

Lesley’s knowledge of the history and performance of puppetry shows is very strong and is both entertaining and informative for the audience. Her shows are diverse and entertaining – designed not only to be magical but also to demonstrate the use of different types of puppets and puppetry from around the world. She allows the children to create their own performances as well, when she has demonstrated hers, and they can prepare a show using their own creations or with her wide range of puppets designated for this purpose.

Lesley is able to adapt her shows and craft workshops to different curricular needs. She has a knowledge of the various key stages and their requirements so that she can work with teachers to some particular educational end. Although I have only seen Lesley at her own place of work I believe she is set up to visit schools in a peripatetic capacity.

I can strongly recommend Lesley Butler’s workshops and performances for their creativity, organization and uniqueness.

10 August 2009

Clapham Manor Primary School

Lesley Butler visited our two year 2 classes for the day providing the children with an exciting puppetry experience - bringing a wide range of puppet examples, bringing them to life and involving children in the story telling. The experience was a fantastic start of our DT puppet project and inspired the children to design, make and perform with their own puppets.

06 August 2009