Can a puppet help discover a true value that is important to you?

Holding a puppet and interacting with it can be a great way to bring some playfulness to your life. It can also give you some answers to the big questions that can help determine what you want to do and want to be.

If you can't try this next idea with a puppet, use a toy or an object you can fiddle with. While you are interacting with your puppet (or object, but from now on I will refer to it as a puppet), ask yourself;

"What is important to me?"

Try not to over think it and go with the first thing that pops in your mind. If your mind goes blank, stroke the puppet and look at it's face and see if that inspires you. Try not to overthink it and breath deeply. Then ask yourself;

 "Why is ... important to me?"

Once again focus on touching and interacting with your puppet while you answer the question. I find that replying quickly and speaking out loud makes it even easier to go with whatever comes to mind first. Next, use the answer to create the following question;

"Why is ...important to me?"

 For example, if your important thing is money and your second answer is,

"Money is important to me because it gives me security when I have it."

Next ask,

"Why is a sense of security important to me?"

All the time, focus on your puppet and use the answer to each question to ask again why it is so important to you? Usually by the sixth ask, you have got something that feels like an important value for your life. It seems as if each question moves you closer to something simple and truthful and you may even have an emotional response to it. If you stick by this value, you are likely to remain true to yourself. It could be something you try to live by and stand up for. It's a great feeling when you gain self-realisation in this way. It seems that the more you can stop overthinking by focusing on the puppet, the quicker and clearer your true value will be. Give it a go and see what happens for you.

Puppets Need Space to Grow

Trying to find somewhere to put puppets while they are being made is tricky. I have visited two art centres looking for making space, but as the fur needs to be kept clean and dry, its proving difficult. I was pleased to find this hat and coat stand to help with storage. All the puppets hanging up are still missing heads, but the ones below just need tweaking or labelling. They make a lovely welcome as I walk into my small, but perfect puppet room - well, perfect until something better comes along.

A Summer of Festivals

The reason my grin is so cheesy in this picture is because I love nothing better than a festival on a sunshine day. This photo is taken at Covent Garden Puppet Festival where I was sharing my new Slobbit puppets with other puppeteers and puppet lovers.

I had a minute to look around and appreciate the fun and laughter being generated by so many Punch and Judy shows, alongside marionettes and larger walk-around puppets. There really is something very special about puppetry and not just as entertainment. I saw people being stunned by the beauty of the puppet movement and drawn in by personification and good story telling. Some of the traditional Punch and Judy shows were a bit iffy, but the hinted at anarchy and pure silliness can still be appreciated and celebrated as a part of the art form. I know we'll see feminism in poor old Judy one day very soon!

I'm working on a couple of puppet orders at the moment, but as soon as they are done, I'm going to make some more of these Slobbit chaps to take to other festivals this summer. I can't wait.

The Hands-On Team

I feel so lucky to have so much support with running my small business. Recently I have been working with Tash, Mike and Brad on a project in London. We all jump on trains and meet in the middle - perfect! I am so inspired by these actors, who started working with me when they were seventeen/eighteen and now are in their mid-twenties. The skills and talent they bring to the work is astounding and I'm privileged to be able to work with them. I have also travelled back to Berkshire recently to run some drug education workshops with Laura and Jack. With very little rehearsal, all of these actors jump into the work with an honesty of character that comes from an understanding of the issues faced by these students/delegates, alongside respect and no judgement for what they share with us on the day. My aim is to pay these guys a good fee while I watch their individual careers take flight. The photograph above is an older photograph of some of them making puppets and the one below shows Tash and Mike role playing in London this month.

Puppetry Skills for All

I've been working with a group from the Tricycle Theatre making puppets ready for their performance in April. I thought I would share some notes about simple ways to bring puppetry to life.

The best way to make fantastic character expressions is to believe your puppet is real. By doing this, it will react to any situation like a person or animal would.

Make the expressions bigger than they would be in real life for the best results.

Every puppet has its own personality. Will your one be silly, happy, sad, curious or a mix of these? What is its name? Where does it come from? What does it like to eat? All this information will help make it more real.

Puppet eye contact is important. It makes the puppet seem more alive.

Not using eye contact is also very useful. If you ask the puppet something using its name and it looks at the ceiling or away, it is obviously trying to ignore you.

If the puppet turns its head in towards your body, this can express concern.

Bob the puppet up, down and side to side to show excitement and happiness.

 Keep the mouth slightly open to show a small smile. Tight shut can look like a frown.  Open the mouth, tilt the head back and wiggle it to make your puppet look as if it is laughing.

Dropping the head expresses sadness.

If you want your puppet to have a voice, open the mouth when you speak. Generally, people do the opposite and it does not look so effective. Getting the mouth movements right will sustain belief in the puppet’s character.

When the focus is off your puppet, make it fidget a little and gently move your hand up and down to make it look as if it is breathing - a puppet should never be completely still.

Puppets are special and can bring magic to your performance. Try and keep your puppet in character throughout the show.

The most important thing to remember about working a puppet is, if you believe it can be real, everyone else will believe. All the other hints work brilliantly if you try this first.

Feel comfortable with working your puppet. Relax and enjoy!

The Creative Unsticker for Young People.

I started this list as part of my business course, but this weekend, I was working with sensitive teenagers and adapted it. I've had great feedback so far and wanted to share it with you. If you give any of these a go, I'd love to know what you think - whatever age you are.

1. ·         Write a journal. Write thoughts that come to you, stories that you experience, goals, daydreams, ‘thinking out loud’ ideas. You could add intentions for the day, speculations for the future, or/and how you are feeling.
2. ·         Change your space. Look around you and see what colours there are and the level of light. Try shaking things up to suit your mood and style. Can you add art, inspirational quotes/pictures or a music source that helps with how you feel?
3. ·         A fresh perspective. Look outside your usual network for advice and a different frame of reference. Brain-storm your work and life objectives with someone, or research from different sources. Sometimes a complete change of environment can help too.
4. ·         Daydream. Sit back, breath deep and imagine an ideal scenario. A holiday you can go on when the work is done, a mental image of you achieving an accolade, your life running exactly as you wish it a year from now. Put yourself in the picture and daydream about how it would feel and who would also benefit from this. Often when we see what we want, we enable it to become a reality.
5. ·         Celebrate creative diversity. Listen to unfamiliar music. It can make a difference to your mindset and get things flowing. Look at art that doesn’t appeal and try to see what others may see in it. Go outside your comfort zone by trying different reading material, films and theatre performances. Listen to different languages and enjoy how they sound. Visit exhibitions, go to festivals and keep your mind open to find wonder and curiosity through creativity.
6. ·         Play. There is a big difference between being ‘childish’ and being ‘child-like’. Compare some country leaders to some spiritual leaders - I am guessing there’ll be no shortage of examples here. Play can be through sport, being with children, time with friends or even time alone. Being playful, light-hearted and carefree can be life changing.
7. ·         Find your creative passion. Open your heart to one thing you love. When you feel stuck, allow your emotions to freely experience a favourite song, watch a segment from your favourite film or comedy sketch or an actor’s monologue. Read a passage from a favourite book, look through some photographs or art collections and feel an emotional response down in your core. Within a few minutes you’ll feel different.
8. ·         Create a greeting card poem. Turn a problem or sticking point into a daft rhyme with the aim that the last line will give you the solution.
9. ·         Practice a creative endeavour. Ten minutes a day on something creative can be a life changer. The added bonus is that you can become rather good at your chosen subject within a year if you do this. Do something that you will enjoy and have a desire to get better at.
10. ·         Walk the walk. When inspiration has left you, do a different task in the mindset and style of a future you. This ‘future’ version is confident, is on top of all jobs and is ‘on it’ in every way. Make a drink, pop down the shops or make a call. Be your authentic self, but a more brilliant and accomplished version. Have the ability to laugh at yourself. The more you ham it up, the more unstuck you will become.
11. ·         Inspiration text. Pick up a book or magazine and open it on a random page and put your finger on a random line. See if this piece of text can answer your inner question and get you moving again.
12. ·         Scary unsticking. Do something that gives you a healthy level of fear. Go outside and pick up a spider then set it free again. If that doesn’t bother you, walk down the street wearing something unusual or write to someone you admire. Do something that fills you with excitement and see what comes behind it.
13. ·         Rehearse your mission statement. Either in the mirror or in front of trusted others, stand tall and clearly state who you are and what your values are. A good stance is to stand like wonder woman or super man and then soften by putting your hands in front of you and lessening the power legs. Announcing to the world who you are, can be really helpful.
14. ·         Unstick a person. If you are struggling with another person, ask someone else to role play with you. First, ‘become’ the difficult person while the other role player plays you. See how it feels to step into the shoes of this person. Then run the scenario with the roles reversed. See if you can practice what you might say and do to overcome this difficulty. It is helpful to remember you can only really change your response to someone and not how they may be.
15. ·         Breathing Techniques. If you are feeling anxious, work through the breathing techniques you have learned. You can use your fingers to breath up and down each one while saying helpful words (for example, up the finger while breathing in ‘I am…’ and down the finger while breathing out ‘relaxed’).
16. ·         Express Yourself. Without disturbing too many people, sing really loudly, dance your heart out, laugh and run around. Use your body to express who you are. Smile as much as you can to feel good about yourself (remember the 30 second smile).
17. ·         Puppet mascot talk. If you've been on one of my courses, you will have one of these. if not, choose something that can be your personal cheerleader that represents your values in life. Put it somewhere you can see it and use it as a sounding board. Bring it to life and talk to it. If you feel brave, make it talk back or whisper in your ear. Even if it just moves its head it will remind you of your positive inner voice. Keep a note of the values that it represents and use these values to move forward with an issue. For example, if you value love, find a loving solution to the issue that is bothering you.

The Joy of Puppetry

I can’t help but have a positive feeling when it comes to puppetry, but sometimes world events and politics creep in to take it away. The joy of puppetry is its ability to help us see the world as light-hearted, full of joy and love. In my work I see children having a good time, young people reflecting on life with curiosity and thoughtfulness, adults allowing themselves to ponder on their values and the older generation are given a safe place to discuss their feelings. From this vantage point, I am reminded that most people are kind and funny. I feel it is important to remember that.

Puppetry can also give us space to highlight issues that all ages may be concerned with. We can bring them into the open, examine them, reflect on them and form an opinion as to what action we can take to make a difference. That is truly inspiring and empowering. The unpleasant side of life can seem more bearable when doing something positive about it in some way.

Personal responsibility, for this amazing place we share, can make all the difference. My daughter suggested doing something every day for five minutes that helps the Earth and/or other people. I’m up for giving it a go. Are you?

Telling Stories Through Puppets

Puppets are a great tool for allowing children to express themselves effectively. Communicating through storytelling puppet-style, can be rewarding for all involved. It provides a safe and fun space to listen to and interact with your child.

Children often use a mixture of fantasy and their own experiences when making a puppet story. They like to include things that may hurt, worry or frighten them by projecting them onto the puppet. It is also a lovely time to celebrate the special moments and more positive aspects of life. When puppet storytelling is supported by you, it removes the pressure of dealing with the world alone and is all part of helping your little one to develop into a responsible and happy young adult. We all find ourselves in situations where we are unsure how to respond and this type of enactment helps to encourage control and/or understanding.

Children love to feel that they are in charge of the play. When interacting in this way, please try and listen to their ideas and allow them to guide you. It can be good for you to step back and hand over the role of director. Child-led storytelling can help with confidence building and give a great sense of satisfaction about the finished result.

Decide on a setting:

Select a place (away from other distractions if possible). Make a performance space - e.g. a blanket or sheet over the back of a couple of chairs or peeking over the back of a sofa. Alternatively, just sit with your children and make the puppeteers part of the performance.

 Decide on a style:

Use the puppets you already have or make your own puppets - e.g. shadow puppetry, marionettes, 'Muppet' style, hand/finger puppets or even simple sock puppets. Next comes the fun part as you create your puppet’s character - e.g. a name, a voice and a style of movement.

Decide on a story:

This is a great time to show your children that you value their ideas. Use a piece of paper to make notes or draw pictures with them. It is easier to put their ideas together this way. Try to create a framework of a beginning, middle and an end. Encourage your children to put a crisis or dilemma in the middle section. 'Goodies' and 'Baddies' help make an exciting story too. A happy ending helps to structure the puppet performance for a younger age group, and so remind the children to add one.

Try and aim for something simple, especially in the beginning. Guidelines and a little structure help to focus all involved on a desired outcome. For example, you may give a limited time to devise the play, or you may give them the title of the play and the length it would have to be. These limitations helped you to get moving quickly and it fires up the children’s imaginations. Share the task of setting these up to remind you all that the children also have ownership over these structures.

A stimulus or situation you can refer to helps to create ideas – e.g. looking at a photograph, reading a book, hearing a news story, coming home from a day trip. Use all types of experiences in your creations. Allow the children to have fun with the story and enjoy the processes you are sharing with them.

Some children may want to enlarge on the task of puppet storytelling by creating a play script, a cartoon/comic strip, or by writing a story. A real sense of performance can be experienced by making rehearsal time, printing tickets, colouring in programmes, designing seating plans and cooking interval snacks. What a truly engaging experience that would be! Obviously the level of graft required is not for everyone. Even a five minute plan, a quick try followed by the pièce de résistance is a truly rewarding way of playing alongside your children.

Puppet Activities for the Under Fives

I thought you may enjoy a few puppet activities to try with your little ones. Most of these activities are suitable for children with additional needs or limited mobility. A lot of these also work with family and friends of different ages. Grandparents and children can share these and we’ve also used them with people living with dementia.

Nursery rhymes - puppet style - choose the voice and style and make the puppet tell the nursery rhyme and act it out.

Musical statues - freeze the puppet in a shape or style when the music stops.

Puppet whispers - whisper a silly sentence to the puppeteer and they repeat it through the puppet in the puppet's voice. You have to try not to laugh. If you laugh, the puppeteer wins.

Start a story and then the puppet tells a bit and then you tell a bit more. Try and have a beginning, middle and end. If you can throw in a problem in the middle, it makes the story more exciting. A good way of starting this is to say; ‘let’s…’ and after you have said your sentence, the next person says, ‘and then…’ and you carry on adding ‘and then…’ until it becomes so ridiculous you naturally stop.

Simon says… - Ask the child to do actions when Simon Says. If you don’t start the sentence with Simon Says, (you just say ‘put your hands on your head’) the child has to ignore the action and stay still. If you say Simon Says put your hands on your head, they then do it. For this version, it is the puppet that listens for when Simon Says and the puppet does the action.

Hide the puppet - hide it in a secret place and as they go near it say - "getting warmer, getting very warm, now you're hot, really hot - or getting colder” if they move away from the puppet's hiding place. Celebrate when they find the puppet.

Put a sheet or towel over a couple of chairs to create a puppet theatre and put on a show. You can recreate a story you know (nursery rhyme, traditional tale such as Little Red Riding Hood) a film or TV show or a story from your life (a Christmas gathering, or how mummy and daddy met). Use anything you have around the house for props. We once put on a performance of Jack and the Beanstalk using a toy snake for the beanstalk, a flamingo puppet for the chicken, a ping pong ball for the golden egg and a large teddy bear for the giant. The other puppets used various borrowed hats and tea towels to look the part!

I hope you enjoy these activities. You can ask your children to come up with some ideas too. 

Monsters

I am working on a business course in Cambridge to extend my work into this area. What I love about this course is the different emphasis on where the work comes from. Instead of jumping from one project to another and following the funding opportunities, I’m being advised to clearly define what I do (and love to do), determine who will gain value from it and then create a clear pathway to making it happen. This is refreshing and valuable information.

Monster puppets are great for expressing feelings and exploring behaviour because they look a little like us, but are far enough removed to feel safe and fun. We can project our feelings and thoughts onto a puppet such as this, but imagine we are playing and this keeps us light-hearted. I aim to focus on bringing these into businesses as value added mascots and personality type avatars. This has developed from other business courses I’ve run where the focus was conflict management and assertiveness training.

The more I use monster puppets to work with children and young people, the more I see evidence that exploring feelings and behaviours in a light-hearted manner is where the biggest growth and understanding happens. It is as if we learn about ourselves in spite of our ego and desire to control our thoughts. Our inner self is allowed to come forward through the medium of puppetry and this creates an honest, deep rooted response to situations and occurrences that may worry us and bring up fear. Keeping the energy light and playful, allows us to think outside the box and come up with solutions that will work for the individuals in the room. The fact that solutions may be different for each of us, is made safe by putting them onto the monster puppet and keeping a third party indifference. Of course we can then take the information on board in a more personal way when we leave the session. 

For younger children, we often end the workshop by having a quiet 'sleep' with our monsters where we whisper in our puppet's ear what we found helpful today and our puppet can whisper back what it thinks will help us moving forward. This quiet, personal time with a puppet is where the reflection and transference can happen in a safe and non-judgemental way. I’m not sure I’ll get away with trying this in the business world, but I have a feeling we’ll observe people playing around with their creations and interacting with work colleagues in a different way. I can’t wait to see what happens.

Please contact me if you would like more details – jo@thehands-oncompany.co.uk

Core Muscles and Puppet Play

I didn’t realise how children’s core muscles could affect so much of their learning. My sister is a deputy head for an infant school and we were chatting about the children this half term. She was explaining how some children can’t roll anymore (not tumble turn, I mean by making your body long and rolling sideways) as their core muscles are weak. Weak muscles, especially the core ones, affect how they write, how they make things and how they use their bodies in sport and play.

Could it be the increase of using technology, or the way parents protect their children from harm during outside play? Could it be a fear of risk for both children and adults? Do we develop core muscles through unrestricted play, or through organised sport for the under tens? I’m assuming it is doing both that keeps bodies strong. I know from experience that the recklessness of some child centered play is good for the body. We quickly change direction, reach for things away from us, climb things where our legs have to reach further up or down. Jump, stretch, lean out and balance in a haphazard way. I can imagine that would do great things for core muscles.

I am putting a book together for parents and carers to use when they want to use puppets. I have included details on how to bring puppets alive and what to do with them as a communication tool. I have a chapter on activities we can be involved in with puppets and I’m now adding a section on physical games to help our children’s bodies to be strong. I’ll also add some training games on how to hang up your coat or use a toilet as these are other self-reliant activities that are important to master. As always, I believe we can do so much through our puppets and play. Working a puppet properly demands strong arms, relaxed shoulders and a stomach that can help hold the puppet weight and make the manipulation look good. A good place to start is with fun activities where we play with these skills. I'm taking this advice too as our new monster puppets are quite big and heavy - thank goodness for yoga!

Covent Garden Puppet Festival

We had a lot of fun at this puppet festival to celebrate Punch's birthday on May Day. This is Harry puppet and me being part of the puppet parade all around Covent Garden. I made Harry using similar techniques to my dog puppets but with a different face. His eyes are table tennis balls and he has a fully working mouth. I have three more of these in production for our workshops. Two of them will be part of our Sunny Saturday performance in the summer. I can't wait.

Sock Puppets Galore

I couldn't resist adding this picture to the blog. These socks were made by one extended family during a spring fair in Berkshire. They sat at the making table having a chat while working at these sock puppets. The children ranged from under one to teenager and the adults made socks too (too shy to be in the photo). What I love about these fairs is the diverse range of puppet makers that visit my table and the vast array of puppets that are made. I'm guessing I've observed thousands of socks turning into puppets and unless by design, not one has been replicated - how cool is that! The talk that naturally happens, the joy of creation and the fun of bringing a puppet to life make these days very special. A bit of sunshine goes a long way too.

Do soft toys become the kind voice in our heads as adults?

The monsters are particularly fluffy right now and I think it's because February has been cold and we are ready for spring. The need to snuggle has been great and I find that when the faux fur is this soft and thick, working the puppet can bring some new emotions with it.

I've noticed that both adults and children use softer voices and kinder words with these beasties. It reminds me of seeing small children using their special soft toy to comfort them when they need reassurance. Have you heard a small child make their teddy bear say something kind and sweet in a singsong voice? I think about myself now I am an adult and how I sometimes call myself Jojo with my inner voice when I'm about to do something scary; - "Come on Jojo, you can do it!" I've even said daft things to myself like: "Its okay, we're in it together!" As if I have a friend with me somewhere inside. I wonder if we internalise the support we feel from soft toys as youngsters with a gentle, kind voice that comes from within? I guess it is the opposite to the harsher, parental voice that sometimes tells us we are rubbish, or stupid, or other unkind words that we may have heard from others when we were children (I see this played out with puppets too). I wonder if everyone has the kind and unkind voices in their head and their dominance is due to the type of upbringing they had? I think I need to look into this in more depth.

One way I feel very lucky, is if I have to give a talk to a large audience, or I'm feeling nervous about a workshop for some reason, I'm in the privileged position to use a fluffy dog (usually my beloved Meatballs puppet) or a super soft monster in my introduction. I'll tell you its because I can show the magic of these creations better than just talking about it, but the truth is that I needed the physical comfort of a puppet alongside the kind voice in my head. Maybe giving up our soft friends as we grow up is over rated. I'll broach the subject in my next teenage workshop and see what they think.

Fun with Puppets

There is a lot of serious talk going on right now in the news and we must remember that our children are listening and observing. This is where play can help us to talk and reflect on our feelings about it all. When the news is gloomy, we can become over anxious and worried about what will happen. Imagine how dis-empowered children and young people can feel. I know play doesn't solve everything, but it can make us all feel better.

Playing with puppets enables the focus to be on the puppet which creates a safe space to openly think about what is bothering us, or to play out situations that are around us. Make-believe play is perfect for this. With young children you can let them lead the situation and narrate what is happening, alongside using the puppets to play the characters. Sometimes you can step out of the play and leave them too it, especially in a larger group. Your role can be to duck back into the play to add information or to move the story along, but the less you do the better.

With young people, you can use puppets in a silly, fun way to create short films and use humour to express what is happening. Just talking with puppets can be funny and poignant if you are respectful and light-hearted. Just pick a topic to discuss and communicate through your puppet. Look at the puppet and then look at the other person's puppet for a response. Keep all eye contact on the puppets and respond with thoughtfulness. Don't forget to listen to the response too. It is very effective.

Sometimes we need to lighten up and have some fun. All this seriousness is not good for the body and mind. Play in any way that suits you. I like to think we have the capacity to be child-like, which is important when so many are being childish right now.

Diversity in the Arts

On Friday, I attended an interesting conference at East Anglia University, concerning diversity. The question of how to create art for all was asked in many ways and by experts in their field, but the overwhelming feeling was to be welcoming and to make your art accessible for the audience. Within business, I am often asked 'who is your audience? I am advised to have a perfect customer in my head in order to market to that person. Who will buy my puppets or/and attend a workshop? I would love to say, 'anyone who will gain value by what we do', but is that enough? How can we make everyone feel welcome and know that the value is for them? How do we create that value?

I remember working with teenage girls where we were creating shadow puppets for a performance later in the day. It was a community festival and the theme was to explore culture through traditional stories. Interestingly, while we were making the puppets, the discussion was all about empowering women through story (linked to the performance) and we openly discussed the participants' own experience because our attention was on puppet making. The workshop became a place to express opinions and feelings that we wanted to share, where we could discuss actions and ideas to help other people and ourselves feel empowered within our communities. An element of this was brought into our story which we told with passion and a feeling of togetherness that wouldn't have happened without the discussion that preceded it.

We didn't start the day knowing that the process of creating story would lead to such a worthwhile and open discussion and the feeling that we all gained value through this shared experience. These girls taught me so much about their beliefs and where their feelings and views sat within this framework. Hopefully they felt I had something to contribute too. Is this art through diversity, or just people coming together and sharing something special? Is there a difference between the two? Respect, consideration and accessibility are surely starting points, with open dialogue and understanding coming a close second. Creating art that explores parts of us and our cultures, enrich our lives and remind us that we are not so different after all. I like the idea of having a universal audience where everyone is welcome - now that's something to aim for.

December Dogs and Puppet Shows

It has been a real pleasure to make dogs for Christmas this year. I was able to spend more time on their design and the fur is so soft. We had one Christmas show this year: 'Where is Rudolph' where I was a head elf and enjoyed the company of  both puppets and children in my quest to find Rudolph. As always, we included a scary character - this time a large snowman with a missing nose. To begin with, he could be heard grumbling and growling from behind the puppet theatre. Next we used scary music as we climbed the mountain to meet him, in the hope he could help us. When he was revealed, the children were relieved to find out that he was only grumpy because of his missing carrot nose which we could replace for him. Once again, we overcame a scary problem and were able to rejoice with Christmas songs and mince pies. ...And as for Rudolph, well, he was in the Elf Farm all along, preparing for full fitness to pull the sleigh. It is all a bit silly, but within our stories we include the joy of being kind and helpful, alongside overcoming problems by working together. The Hands-On Company believe these sentiments make a good resolution as we move into 2017.

Preparing for a Tudor Workshop - Melissa Waldron

Last week I was very lucky in being able to attend a talk by Lucy Worsley at Hampton Court Palace. A new BBC series will be launched soon exploring the roles of Henry VIII's wives and the talk focused on the role of each of the women in Tudor England. It was an entertaining and inspirational event.

We will set our Living History workshop in Elizabethan England. But the talk on Henry has really set the scene especially in considering the fate of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's ill fated mother.

Work is now being carried out to prepare a lively and interactive workshop for young people in schools. Set in a stately home outside Stratford-Upon Avon, we ask how the household will prepare for the arrival of the Queen...and Mr Shakespeare who is showing off his new play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. We are very excited about launching this hour and a half workshop at a primary school next week.

Puppetry For Sensitive People.

Recently, I’ve been working with sensitive children and young people. In fact, all of us are sensitive in some ways, but when children are sick, or going through trauma, their sensitivity is much more visible.

Puppetry is a lovely medium to use where laughter, silliness and care are wanted. The energy being focused on the puppet takes away the emphasis that this is about the participant’s needs and issues. Instead, it is the puppet that has our attention. It is similar to giving yourself permission to do something enjoyable such as eat cake or watch a good film. A puppet can give the same light relief with the added bonus that it is something we can enjoy together. If there is an issue to be discussed, we can make the puppet into a coat hanger, of sorts, by putting the issue onto the character and trying to help him/her. We use our brains differently when we focus outside ourselves, and this opens up options and solutions that are harder to come by when the process just remains in our heads!

The emotions that can be provoked through puppetry are perfect for sensitive people. It is possible to play around with feeling safe or threatened by creating an environment where both can be expressed openly. Finding solutions for difficult scenarios in real life can be acted out through make believe with truly effective results.

Take this example for younger children. A dragon flies into a story session and roars at the group while threatening to hurt them all, but he quickly is spluttering and coughing because he has run out of fire. He asks the group where he can go and get fire in order to breathe it all over them. It is up to the children to decide if they will tell him, help or trick him. For the puppeteer, it is a fine line between scaring the children and appearing too harmless. The aim is to take their power away initially, through being a bit scary, and then to judge when the fear becomes too much for any member of the group. At this point, the dragon’s body posture changes and his voice becomes whiny and softer as he asks them for help. The group gain their power back as they decide what to do. The puppeteer can use the dragon’s body and voice to diminish the fear and to provoke either empathy or humour (depending on the aim of the story). If the puppeteer can interject with the initial scary voice and body language to again threaten coming back and breathing fire, this can help keep the energy fresh and exciting. The fear is still there, but the group are keeping on top of it through decision making. Depending on the group’s decisions, the puppeteer can help implement the action of running away or tricking the dragon or maybe the group will decide to try and help him be kind and stop his behaviour. The puppeteer can lead the story forward, but the participants can be empowered to make the decision. When the dragon is dispensed with, the group can reflect on their decisions. How can this be used in everyday life when something is scary? Was working as a group helpful? If you have fearful feelings in real life, who can you tell? Are there dragons in real life? Why was the dragon being unkind? What else do we find scary? And so on.

Puppetry can be gentle, humorous, encouraging or unnerving, but all these emotions and more can be expressed in a safe environment. It allows us all to reflect on how we will deal with various scenarios in everyday life and helps us find solutions to problems. For the sensitive souls among us, that can only be a good thing.

The Ancient Egyptians - Melissa Waldron.

When I was young, my mum insisted we visited museums and art galleries in the school holidays. She thought it would be good for me. And she was right when it came to The British Museum and the Egyptian rooms. The artifacts were interesting, but it was the mummies in glass cases that were truly fascinating. A few years ago I was lucky enough to visit Egypt and I headed straight to The Valley of The Kings. I rode a camel and visited the Pyramids. My interest in the Ancient Egyptians, their culture and fantastical beliefs in the After Life, is still as strong today as it was when I was a child.

This is the first era I have tackled in exploring the history workshops. It's chronologically the first civilisation in our new repertoire.

The grisly and the bizarre is a great starting point for the content of this workshop. I am currently becoming a bit of an expert on mummification and dramatic rituals. I'm going to have the opportunity to wear lavish make up and play an intriguing character. I am really looking forward to finalising the details of the new workshop for Primary Schools.