Puppet Theatre Workshop, tailored for 7-12 year olds, taking place during the second week of the school holidays

The Puppet Theatre Workshop, designed for children aged 7-12, offers an immersive four-day experience in the art of puppetry. Each five-hour session allows participants to explore different types of puppets, engage in drama exercises, and craft their own creations, including hand puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets, and marionettes. The workshop culminates on Friday, October 11th, with a rehearsal and a heartwarming final performance where children showcase their newly acquired skills to their whānau and visitors. This workshop is a unique opportunity for children to develop both their creativity and performance abilities in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Guiding this creative journey will be two accomplished artists – skilled puppeteers and expert jugglers. These artists bring extensive experience in teaching and leading community-focused projects.

Back in 2011, Ana and Sergio established Naranjarte, a puppet and circus company headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Their dedication to the arts led them on a global journey from September 2017 to January 2020, researching and honing a program that combines language education, communication, and human connection through the transformative mediums of puppetry and circus. This journey took them across 14 countries on 4 continents, showcasing the cognitive power of these unique art forms. In 2018 they arrived in Aotearoa/NZ for the first time and fell in love with the country. They returned to make a life here in January 2020, to continue sharing their passion and skills, and to develop their artistic careers in their chosen home. Their passion has resonated with audiences worldwide, as they’ve delivered over 200 performances to captivated viewers.

“We feel very lucky to have Naranjarte offering workshops in the community, your workshops always bring something fresh and new to enrich the children’s experiences, and they return home bubbling with ideas and inspiration. The organisation and work that goes into the workshops before, during and after is very impressive, with wonderful communication with adults, genuine connection with kids attending the workshop as well as the bonus of amazing presentations that the kids enjoy looking back on and sharing with family and friends. Naranjarte helps the children’s creativity and confidence blossom and it is a joy to watch. Thank you again! ” Eowyn Starr