What is Puppet Academy?
Puppet Academy is a week where you will be part of the team developing and rehearsing a puppet production to be performed in the main showcase at this years Equip Festival! Taking place at Renewal Church Solihull. Whilst Puppet Academy is intense, it’s also an excellent opportunity to really advance your puppetry skills and be part of a team in bringing a full performance together. PLUS, it’s great fun and the friendships made during Puppet Academy last long after the week has finished.
What do previous members have to say?
When and Where is it?
The rehearsal week takes place from Sunday 9th to Sunday 16th August. This takes place at a Grimsby Baptist Church DN34 5DW, with local accommodation provided.
You will also need to be available for the Equip Festival in Solihull from Thursday 22nd October (10am) to Saturday 24th October (8pm).
The Rehearsal week
Where
Takes place at a Grimsby Baptist Church DN34 5DW, with local accommodation provided. .
When
10am Sunday 9th to Sunday 16th August 2026
The Festival
Where
The Festival takes place at Renewal Church, Solihull B91 2JR.
When
Thursday 22nd October (From 10am) to Saturday 24th October (Until 8pm)
What Happens In the week
The week is basically a boot camp… but the fun kind.
Led by Cam Welsh and Fiona Stutton, you’ll spend the week rehearsing and building the show for the Equip Festival performance. Along the way, you’ll get hands-on experience with hand and rod puppetry, blacklight puppetry, teamwork, and maybe even building a few props too.
It’s fast, full-on, and a whole lot of fun. And by the end of the week, you’ll perform a live dress rehearsal in front of an audience.
So… are you up for it?
What Happens At The Festival
During the festival, you’ll be a key part of the team, helping attendees, supporting the event, stewarding, assisting workshop leaders in sessions, and helping to keep everything running smoothly.
And of course, you’ll also be part of delivering the amazing main showcase performance that people know and love.
So what you waiting for!
are you gonna join us?
How to Apply?
To be able to apply, you need to be over the age of sixteen (we require parental consent for those aged under 18 years) and be a competent rod-arm puppeteer.
Simply complete the online application form below, download the ‘Puppet Academy Application Track’ (linked below) and film a video of you demonstrating your skills with a puppet to this track. This can be sent to us on YouTube/Vimeo/DropBox etc. or can be emailed separately to cam@onewayuk.com. For the video:
– The performance should be in an un-curtained stage so that your technique can be observed clearly.
– The performance must be to the Puppet Academy Application Track
– The track features clips from three songs. Whilst your complete puppetry skills will be judged throughout the three songs, these tracks have been chosen to highlight particular skills in the following areas:
Song #1 – Lip synchronisation
Song #2 – Emotion and character
Song #3 – Arm rod control and movement
Application form
So what you waiting for!
are you gonna join us?