Author: Merle Harley

with Mike Harding of Applefun Puppetry.  May 16^th, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Fees: In-person $100 or Online $75.

N.B. These two arts-business workshops combined make a full program. The discounted fees are $120 for both online, or for Grants-online and Business in-person $160

Learn how to turn your passion for puppetry into a viable business. This practical course covers pricing, marketing, finding clients, developing programs, and building relationships with schools, libraries, and community organizations. Ideal for puppeteers looking to develop their business skills and create new opportunities.

Mike Harding is the founder of Applefun Puppetry, a Brampton-based business offering puppet shows, puppetry workshops, and educational programs. With experience developing and delivering programs for schools and community organizations, Mike brings practical, real-world insight into building a puppetry business. Participants may find it helpful to bring a notebook or laptop and any questions or ideas they have about developing their own puppetry business. No previous business experience is necessary.

With Rag & Bone Theatre, Ottawa.  Online on May 2^nd, from 1:00 to 3:00. Fee $75

N.B. These two arts-business workshops combined make a full program. The discounted fees are $120 for both online, or for Grants-online and Business in-person $160

What makes a successful grant application? From finding the right program for your project, describing yourself and your work, making a budget, and submitting support material, this workshop will discuss successful strategies and share advice. Bring some ideas and let’s brainstorm!

John Nolan and Kathy MacLellan, of Rag & Bone Puppet Theatre have been producing shows and touring for 48 years, and have received grants from the Ontario Arts Council, The Canada Council, the Ottawa Community Foundation, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the City of Ottawa.

with Puppetmongers. Sundays April 18^th & 25^th 2027, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fee $225.

N.B. The two marionette workshops combined make a full program. The discounted fee for both workshops is $300

In this two-day course you will make your own wooden marionette character with working joints and functioning controls. We will be building and jointing the wooden body, creating heads and hands, dressing, then stringing them, and exploring the manipulation of the puppets through animation exercises. With the skills you learn here, you will gain the ability to make more marionettes on your own.  Note that we will not delve deeply into wood carving, nor spend lots of time on faces and costumes – though these important aspects of character creation will be discussed and methods demonstrated.

Puppetmongers Theatre, now in its 52nd year, has performed across Canada, the US, Europe, and Iran.  The company has received one Dora Mavor Moore Award and has been nominated for eleven more; short listed for two Chalmers Play Awards; and has received five Citations for Excellence from the Union International de la Marionnette USA, plus the Award for Artistic Excellence and The President’s Award from the Puppeteers of America

with Puppetmongers. Sunday April 4^th, 2026.  10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Fee $125

N.B. The two marionette workshops combined make a full program. The discounted fee for both workshops is $300

In this one-day workshop, participants will create simple cloth marionette characters and discover how to manipulate them.  These beginner puppets are an excellent way to gain an understanding of how pulling strings can give a sense of life to simple objects, and of the importance of gravity and leverage to string puppets.

Puppetmongers Theatre’s Ann and David started their puppetry journey with marionettes in their childhood. With their company, Puppetmongers Theatre, now in its 52nd year, they have  performed across Canada, the US, Europe, and Iran.  The company has received one Dora Mavor Moore Award and has been nominated for eleven more; short listed for two Chalmers Play Awards; and has received five Citations for Excellence from the Union International de la Marionnette USA, plus the Award for Artistic Excellence and The President’s Award from the Puppeteers of America.

With Robin Polfuss. April 3, 10, 17, and 24, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Online only.

Please note: Each session can be a separate stand-alone workshop, or you may wish to take several, or all of them. Fees are discounted the more you enroll. Fees: All 4 sessions $225 or  3 sessions $195 or  2 sessions $135 or 1 session $75. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHICH ONES YOU WISH TO ENROLL IN.

Make a movie with puppets! This is an online class, and most of it will be practical, hands on, film production work. Participants should bring a willingness to be silly! And probably some puppets! A decent computer and internet connection.  Paper and pencils, coloured markers are a plus. They will need space to work, a camera (can be camera, camcorder, phone, or even webcam), and an editing program.  Not all the things are needed if the student doesn’t take all the classes.

Session 1:  Ways to plan, write, and storyboard.

Session 2:  Lights! Camera! Gear! The stuff before you call “Action!”

Session 3:  “Action!” Ways to set up your shot and shoot it.

Session 4:  Editing. How your footage becomes MOVIE!

Robin is a whimsical storyteller, puppet builder and performer at festivals and events. She makes short films, organizes Puppet Slams and parades, and teaches puppet building & performing workshops. RoRo Art is her toy-making business, and Puppet What What is the irrepressible sock puppet who bosses her around.  www.facebook.com/roroart/

with David from Puppetmongers. Sunday February 28^th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fee $125

N.B. The two shadow puppetry workshops combined make a full program. The discounted fee for both workshops is $200.

A hands-on exploration of the new world of shadow puppetry techniques: new light sources, such as halogen lamps, overhead projectors, document camera, and other technologies, along with new materials and forms of shadow puppetry, manipulation and staging.  We will discover the amazing imagery and special effects possible with this new technology.

David Powell, the other co-founder of Puppetmongers, has been involved with all levels of production. With Puppetmongers, he has created eleven new theatre works, toured extensively nationally and internationally, and received awards from both the theatre and puppetry communities in Canada and the USA.  David’s other work has included design and building puppet, sets, masks and props for many theatre companies.  He created Shuttle Dreams, a new-music shadow play with musicians Scott Wilson and Daria Kwiatkowska.  He has taught puppetry arts at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, York University, University of Windsor, University of Guelph, the Toronto Teachers’ College, and at several C.O.D.E Conferences.

With David from Puppetmongers. Sunday February 21^st 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Fee $125

N.B. The two shadow puppetry workshops combined make a full program. The discounted fee for both workshops is $200.

This workshop will take you on a brief visit to the living traditions of shadow puppetry around the world and their varying teschniques, and a hands-on shadow puppet makinmg workshop, focusing on the use of shadow in theatrical work: as fabricated actors, as powerful images, and as kinetic set design.

Working with incandescent light sources, you will design and build your own shadow puppets, explore a number of manipulation techniques and start to develop a short piece of theatre.

David Powell, the other co-founder of Puppetmongers, has been involved with all levels of production: design, scripting, construction, marketing, touring, performing and administration. He spent three months in Java and Bali observing puppet theatre and has always been fascinated by this artform.  He created Shuttle Dreams, a new-music shadow play with musicians Scott Wilson and Daria Kwiatkowska.  He has taught puppetry arts at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, York University, University of Windsor, University of Guelph, the Toronto Teachers’ College, and at several C.O.D.E Conferences.

with David from Puppetmongers. Sunday February 7^th, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fee $ 125

When David was a child, he made all sorts of toys out of Bristol Board and eventually discovered a way to make amazing masks from card, masking tape and acrylic paint. He has been making masks for theatre companies ever since.  These masks are long lasting, light weight, flexible, and easy to alter later, if required.

So, the trick is to take a two-dimensional piece of cardboard and, with nips and tucks, turn it into a three-dimensional face. There will be discussion of facial structure, realism vs cartooning, and step by step construction instruction – everyone will come away with a first mask and the skill to make more.

David Powell, the other co-founder of Puppetmongers, where he has co-created eleven new theatre works, toured extensively nationally and internationally, with the company receiving awards from both the theatre and puppetry communities in Canada and the USA.  He has created Bristol Board masks for many Toronto theatre and dance companies. He has also designed and building puppet, sets, and props for theatre companies.  He has taught puppetry arts at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, York University, University of Windsor, University of Guelph, the Toronto Teachers’ College, and at several C.O.D.E Conferences.

With Ann from Puppetmongers. Two Sundays: January 17^th and 24^th, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fee $225

At first glance looking like a set and costume designer’s scale model, a Model/Paper/Toy Theatre is a complete theatre in miniature, with little puppet actors manipulated by rods from above or beside the stage, with scenery that rolls, folds or flies, and all kinds of wonderful theatrical surprises.  In this workshop, participants will each transform an ordinary cardboard box into a magnificent miniature theatre, complete with its little puppet actors, and explore the possibilities of scenic effects – perspective and scale, pop-up scenery and scenic vistas, trap doors and moving dioramas to name a few.

Ann Powell, co-artistic director of Puppetmongers Theatre, is involved with all levels of production: design, scripting, construction, performing, touring, marketing, and administration. With the company, she creates critically acclaimed, award winning shows for both young and adult audiences, and has toured with them around the world. Outside of Puppetmongers, Ann‘s solo puppet play, Bed & Breakfast, was awarded a Citation of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry by UNIMA-USA, and she collaborates on projects with other theatre companies and artists. She was a founding member of Kids Can Press, and has illustrated a number of books for children. Ann has conducted puppetry workshops and programs in elementary schools and universities, at summer camps and conferences, across Canada, in the US and the former USSR.

With Mike Petersen. November 29th, half-day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fee $100

N.B. This Table-Top 101 workshop and Table-Top Construction are a full program. The discounted fee for both workshops is $275.

This workshop introduces the basics. We’ll put your acting into your hands so your puppets can look, listen, seek, find, eat, drink, feel, give, share, and play. Learn the visual cues that make audiences really believe. With a few simple tricks, your puppets will spring to life!

As for what people should bring, if they’ve already made your own tabletop puppets then bring those. If you don’t have a puppet, that’s okay, Mike has an entire fleet of “cloth neutrals” that people can use.

Mike Petersen is a Dora Award-nominated puppeteer who has travelled the world with such companies as Mermaid Theatre, Shaw Festival, Theatre Direct, Teatr Arlekin, YPT, and Theatre Beyond Words. Television credits include Fraggle Rock, The Mighty Jungle, Toopy & Binoo Vroom Vroom, Zoom and the Emmy-nominated pre-school series Miss Persona.