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PuppetLink History
PuppetLink was founded in 1996 by a group of people who were passionate about the art of puppetry. All of them were highly experienced performers and makers. In the early days the company raised funding for the group to allow them to purchase a range of capital items – vehicles, sound and lighting, and office equipment. A substantial grant from the National Lottery of £100,000 was crucial to the establishment of the company. The five original member companies of the consortium used this leg up to deliver a wide range of performance and workshop opportunities in a range of settings across the West Midlands region working in both rural and urban areas.
Over its history PuppetLink has been highly successful in gaining funding from funding bodies, in particular Arts Council England (ACE). It has never been a core funded organisation and has flourished on a more or less continual stream of project funding and its ability to generate high levels of earned income.
PuppetLink established itself as the lead organisation for puppetry in the West Midlands and achieved a national profile. The combined talents of its member companies meant that it was well equipped to offer a very diverse output. This included work across the primary school age, and specialist work for the under-fives (both in an out of school) show for libraries and museums (including a long-standing partnership with the Museum of Cannock Chase), performances in parks and street performances. The company has always seen itself as an advocate for popular forms of puppetry and has created work that is highly accessible. Although PuppetLink companies do present work in established formal theatre settings, the majority of the work has always been delivered in more public situations.
Over the years PuppetLink has secured funding for many innovative projects including developing and touring new work, and has established a reputation for delivering festivals. Many of these festivals have been annual events throughout the company’s history – Puppets-a-Plenty for Walsall MBC, and The Puppet Extravaganza at mac (Midlands Arts Centre). Other festivals have been major one off events such as the Great Millennium Puppet Party. Increasingly these events have included both national and international performers. The relationships with visiting performers from countries such as Italy, Hungary, France, Slovakia, Sweden, Belgium, Russia, Turkey, Australia have given the company an increasingly international outlook. This builds on the pattern of PuppetLink companies regularly performing overseas.
Over time there have been slight changes in its member companies, with new people coming on board as others retired. Ten years after its creation PuppetLink has been restructuring itself. It is now a company limited by guarantee with charitable status, managed by the team of two co-Artistic Directors and one Producer, overseen by a board and supported by its
membership. Its focus has moved away from being a support structure for its member companies towards placing a greater emphasis role on its ability to
create new work and deliver festivals. Its primary function is promoting and producing. In 2005 it piloted dynamics international puppet festival, the success of this leading to dynamics 07, the largest international puppet festival in England.
PuppetLink – as its very name indicates – has always sought to collaborate with a wide variety of partners to explore mutual goals. These range from local authority arts providers, to theatres, galleries, schools and museums. Collaborations with higher education institutions (such as Central School of Speech and Drama and the Theatre & Drama Department of Royal Holloway College, University of London) have also proved beneficial to all concerned. Developing further links in this area is a key objective for the company.
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