Where to find puppet makers in Australia?
Please note: this post only applies to finding puppet builders in Australia. If you are from another country, I would suggest visiting The Puppetry Homepage, UNIMA USA, or UNIMA UK.
Puppet makers in Australia, are I believe, a hidden industry. For the general public, they are very hard to find. But they are out there. One of the ways you can find them is by seeing some puppet shows; many performers also build their own puppets, and if you see a puppet you like at a show, you can always easily find out who made it. Puppet makers are always interested in commissions, so don’t feel shy about asking one of the cast/crew for some info, a website to visit, or a business card.
However, most puppet makers are not found at shows, and a few of them have their own websites. Well known builder, Jarrod Boutcher, is just one of them. (He’s in QLD). I have my own site too, and so does Hilary Talbot in Canberra, and Gary Friedman in Sydney. Check my list of ‘where to buy and hire puppets‘ which has a more comprehensive list (and links to other relevant puppet buying topics; buying Audreys, buying vent dolls, etc etc), as many puppet builders sell their puppets via online or physical stores. Do also check my list of links (use the link at the top of the page) for other puppet makers, as there are heaps more on that page (links for makers, links for sellers, and links for performance companies).
If you’re having trouble finding puppet makers via Google or another search engine, contact UNIMA Australia for a list of puppet makers in your area, or ask them to forward your request to their members. Puppetry Australia has a small list of builders. Additionally, many puppet performance companies and venues will have a list of puppet builders at their disposal, so you can try contacting them. You should also check out the stuff about repairers.
Unfortunately, many Australian puppet makers do not advertise themselves on the net, partly I think, because the ‘older’ generation have not gotten themselves online. Most however, will be part of UNIMA Australia’s membership.
Do you know of a puppet maker? Are you an Australian-based one? Leave a comment, I’ll add to the list!
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