Puppetry & …

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A series of on-line puppetry conversations focusing on different themes

About the Conversations

In 2024 we launched our first Puppetry & … sessions, with conversations focused on Puppetry & Women, Puppetry & Dance, Puppetry & Queerness and Puppetry & Climate Activism.

In 2025 we were delighted to offer 3 new sessions.

Each session is designed as intimate, interactive discussions rather than presentations. Each one focuses on a different theme within contemporary puppetry and its intersections with other disciplines, ideas, and lived experiences.

In 2025 the themes were

Puppetry & Disability

Puppetry & Ritual Performance

Puppetry & Artificial Intelligence

Participants joined Artistic Director Sue Buckmaster and a specially invited guest co-host to share perspectives, ask questions, and reflect together. With just six places available per session, the conversations are deliberately small to create space for openness, depth, and connection.

Applications are open to all professionals working with puppetry who would like to take part in this unique opportunity to think, talk, and imagine together.

Our 2025 Puppetry & … sessions

Puppetry & Disability

Co-hosted by Sue Buckmaster and Daryl Beeton

Wednesday 12th November on Zoom 19:00 to 21:00 (UK time)

Daryl is Creative Director at Daryl & Co. He’s a Director and Performer who has worked extensively within the Theatre, Disability and young people’s arts sector for the last 25 years. Daryl & Co create, produce and tour physical, visual and non-verbal work which incorporates movement, circus and politics.

Puppetry & Ritual Performance

Co-hosted by Sue Buckmaster and Miguel Altunaga

Wednesday 19th November on Zoom 19:00 to 21:00 (UK time)

MIGUEL ALTUNAGA is a Cuban-born dancer, choreographer, and photographer who trained at Havana’s National School of Art before joining Rambert in 2007. He’s performed works by leading choreographers including Hofesh Shechter, Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor, and Merce Cunningham. As choreographer, he’s created works for Carlos Acosta, Royal Ballet’s “Dark Eye” (2014), and Birmingham Royal Ballet. He won Cuba’s Best Male Solo Award (2002) and received multiple Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards nominations. Miguel is also a self-taught photographer specializing in dance and theatre, having worked as Rambert’s Content Producer (2019-2020).

Puppetry & Artificial Intelligence

Co-hosted by Sue Buckmaster and Liam Jarvis

Friday 28th November on Zoom 19:00 to 21:00 (UK time)

Dr Liam Jarvis is a Reader in Theatre and Performance at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where he is Lead Tutor on the MFA in Advanced Theatre Practice and Research Lead for the Producing department. Liam co-founded Analogue, an award-winning independent theatre company with whom he created devised work that toured the UK/internationally between 2007-17. He has over 20-years of teaching experience and he received the Times Higher Education’s ‘Most Innovative Teacher of the Year’ Award in 2021. As a researcher, Liam was co-convenor of the Intermediality in Theatre & Performance Research Working Group at the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) from 2017-2021 and is Co-Editor of Methuen Drama’s book series, Performance and Digital Cultures. He co-authored the Theatre-Rites: Animating Puppets, Objects and Sites book with Dr Sue Buckmaster (Hon.) in 2021.