History

I started making and working with puppets at 7 years old with my father who was a Punch & Judy man in the North East. Shoestring Puppets was launched in the late 70s- an amateur group of people my father trained up for a couple of rod puppet productions. He retired in the late 80s, but gave me a solid grounding in making and performing.

After graduating in Theatre Studies and Social Sciences I relaunched Shoestring Puppets in Manchester in 1990, as a small-scale operation using one of my father’s Punch and Judy sets. Over the years I added a variety of shows including marionette cabaret and storytelling.

In 1992 I gained a PGCE specialising in Early Years, and spent 9 years teaching both full-time and on supply across Greater Manchester.

In 1994 I did a ‘Women into Enterprise’ business course, and expanded into workshops with adults and children.

I have 2 children- Jenny (born in 1997) and Sam (in 1999).

Philosophy

The aim of Shoestring Puppets’ shows is to provide quality child-centred entertainment, with Early Years a speciality (the Storytelling shows were designed with this age group specifically in mind). The workshops aim to enable children to create simple puppets of quality and learn the basics of manipulation.

Examples of work

Traditional Entertainment (Punch and Judy, Marionettes)

Shoestring Puppets has performed at events ranging from private parties to large scale community arts events, including:

· agricultural shows (Romiley Young Farmers Show, Mottram & District Agricultural Show);

· theme days (Lyme Park Edwardian Weekend; Morovian Settlement Victorian Festival, Droylsden; Environmental Awareness Day, Salford)

· town-centre fun days (e.g. at Reddish, Eccles, Bolton, Todmorden and Congleton)

· arts festivals (e.g. Stockport)

· Westwood Multicultural Carnival, Oldham

· Wythenshawe Hospital Deaf Unit

· Season at Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre, Rochdale

Storytelling with Puppets

A range of popular and traditional stories, targeted at Early Years and retold in a “hands-on” interactive way. This has proved particularly popular at schools (as part of book weeks and literacy tie-ins), including

· Hollins School (Guide Bridge)

· Foxdenton Special Needs School (Chadderton)

· Various nurseries and pre-school groups

Workshops

While on maternity, I took the opportunity to develop workshops using my teaching skills- such as pre-preparing resources for differentiation. I have come up with a variety of puppets to make with a range of materials with age groups 2-13. Workshops involve all children, regardless of skill, producing a quality working puppet, and grasping the basics of manipulation. Bookings have included:

· Oldham Sports Centre Summer Playscheme

· Hurdles- Bury

· Oldham Indian Association

· New Mills Brownies

Workshops and Lectures for Adults

More recently, I have worked with childminders, teachers, playgroup and playscheme leaders and other budding puppeteers, providing puppet making skills, tricks of the trade, staging etc; and how to pass these onto children in an Early Years setting. I have also given lectures on using puppets with children. Clients have included

· Oldham Early Years Team

· Blackburn Early Years Team

· GRUMPY/Playworkers Association