Puppetry workshops & Custom Puppet building

Check out our school puppetry workshops- we still have openings for the rest of the school year for school classes or community groups. We also have the ability to do outdoor shows and workshops in the summer.  We can manage 15 to 30 students at a time with 1 ½ to 5 hour programming. We include a brief review of puppetry history and demonstrate different types of puppets used around the world. Come workshop at our World of Puppetry Museum or if less than 50 miles we can bring supplies and our travel kit of puppet examples to you.         

We have perfected group puppet making of several different types of puppets- many from recycled materials. Our puppetry workshops include helping teachers identify curriculum connections, providing stories and scripts that meet their needs, and collecting all needed supplies. We also provide all needed tools (like hot glue guns and scissors), step by step puppet making instruction, and as desired stages and help directing performances          

We find puppetry to be powerful way to introduce art, storytelling and creativity to students. We find that our workshops with hands-on creation of a puppet offer students the chance to explore, invent, and find ways to creatively express feelings and character. With puppets they get to try out different puppet facial features, clothing styles and puppet size props, an art experience that is not readily available in schools anymore. We find puppetry students are often motivated to improve reading fluency and comprehension as they work to portray a story with their puppet character. Puppets enable shy students to step out of their comfort zone and add to their social skills. Lastly, bringing this kind of workshop into school classrooms helps students of all different backgrounds and economic levels to not only experience the creative process, but learn some cultural history and appreciate being part of a group effort. We also are an outside influence that can offer positive reinforcement for a student’s efforts. Feel free to call or email us for questions. Workshops range from $125 to $300 depending on number and age of students, the size of puppets, cost of materials and amount of additional help desired.         

For more information call Susan at 435-730-2487. Or email us at SN4bcpuppets@aol.com.   Our puppetry goals in the year ahead include offering more school workshops, more weekly after school or Saturday puppet making classes, more regular family oriented puppet shows on Friday or Saturday afternoons, puppet podcasts with larger than life: Marva, and at least one more big puppet production in the spring.

 Puppetry Job Opening:

Title: Part Time Puppeteer & Puppetry workshop instructor Reports to: Brigham City Fine Arts Center’s World of Puppetry Museum Director

Job Summary:

We are seeking an individual who can help us perpetuate and grow our Puppetry outreach program. This is a job that lends itself well to someone who is energetic and loves working with people of all ages, creating and teaching. The job includes of variety of fun tasks from daily organizing and creating as well as performing. Candidate will start as an assistant and be expected to grow into a team leader/ program director. This is a part time job that could be expanded for additional hours and income. Located in quaint Brigham City Utah, we have a 2000 square foot museum space representing over 150 puppets from around the world and through the ages. We also have craft and teaching space and 25 years of experience teaching puppet making workshops to community and school groups, building puppet stages, and performing with all types of puppets.

Job description-

Oversee the World of Puppetry Museum exhibits and programming Provide puppet history demonstrations for the museum Provide puppet making workshops for the community and in schools Help mentor or teach puppetry classes in performance and puppet making Serve as, or mentor a storyteller/puppet performer for a twice monthly preschool program Serve as part of a puppet performance team and help put together special puppet shows- Smaller ones 6 to 8 times a year, one big show annually Help make or repair puppets as needed Collaborate with marketing staff to help with advertisement of programs and shows. Collaborate with Fine Arts Center staff and help with Puppet program scheduling and records Skill Qualifications and preferences At least 2 years of college level education Significant theater experience and/or teaching accreditation with 2 years experience Competent typing and computer skills Good at hands on crafting with an eye for detail Present a positive role model for students that supports the mission of the Fine Arts Center Be able to demonstrate behavior that is professional, ethical and responsible

Date to assume duties: 

As soon as available Work hours: 15- 20 hours per week as scheduled.* Week days: Mostly week days within a 9am-3 pm time frame, (May occasionally need earlier start or later for working in schools) Afternoons: 4-6 pm once or twice a week for scheduled -10 week classes Evenings: A possible 1 ½ hr weekly evening rehearsal (right now Wednesdays ) Saturdays : Open Museum times twice monthly 2:30 to 5:30 pm. ( No Sundays at this time) 

Rate of Pay :

Negotiable, starting at $15/ hour  * Hours: While there is some flexibility in the work schedule, candidate hopefully will find comfort in knowing most activities are schedule 1 to 3 months in advance.

Hours include time spent gathering, preparing, and packing up puppet craft supplies. Learning puppet making and performance techniques and sharing them. Hours may also include time spent finding or creating script, making or adapting puppets, and building or developing puppet stage props and back drops. See bcfineartscenter.org /world of puppetry museum for more information about our current puppetry programs. Come join our team.

Other Qualifications: 

Must have a valid drivers license and reliable transportation for traveling to local workshop job sites Must be able to lift 20 to 30 pounds

Contact Us:

Send inquiries and resumes to   sn4bcpuppets@aol.com  attention Susan