RESIDENT ARTISTS
The Puppet Place community is a diverse group of individuals and companies. Many come from the worlds of live puppetry and animation. However, there are others who work within the creative sector but share our collective belief that puppetry and animation are artforms that have a unique ability to bring people together and communicate ideas in ways that have the power to be transformative and empowering. On this page you can find out more about our resident artists at Unit 18.
RESIDENT ARTISTS AND COMPANIES:
PICKLED IMAGE
Vicky Andrews
Formed in 2000, Pickled Image specialises in puppetry for live performance and theatre. Since its inception the company has gained international recognition and numerous awards for their darkly humorous visual productions.
GREEN GINGER UK
Chris Pirie
Green Ginger creates award-winning theatre & films featuring puppetry. The company operates from two production bases, one in France and one in the UK. Green Ginger UK acts as an umbrella organisation under which freelance theatre makers work together to write, design, teach and perform.
RUSTY SQUID
Roseanne Wakely
Rusty Squid are robotic artists and designers exploring primal emotions and embodied machines. Through the art of puppetry, the technology of robotics and beautifully crafted materials the team bring to life objects and environments that awaken the human animal.
ELIZABETH JOHNSON
Animator & Puppet Maker
www.facebook.com/ElizabethJohnsonMakes/
Elizabeth is a freelance fabricator for animation, theatre and public engagement works. Elizabeth has worked with companies such as Rusty Squid, Pickled Image and RAUCOUS.
MATT GIBBS
Writer & Editor
Matt is a WGGB Award nominated writer and editor, of games such as Battlefield 1, Total War: ROME II, and Driver San Francisco. Alongside working with games and interactive narratives, Matt works in publishing, film & TV, and comics. They’re also a Partner at Talespinners.co.uk and the Managing Editor of ImproperBooks.com.
OPPOSABLE THUMB
Dik Downey
Created in 2019, oTt specialise in subversive performance incorporating puppetry, clown, mask, mime and physical theatre.
Dik also fabricates puppets and masks to commission.
BLACK LABORATORY
Ben Mars
Black Laboratory create award-winning animation and develop and supervise animation for clients.
The company also make and perform creatures and build prosthetics, puppets, props, models, masks and illusions, for their own and others’ interactive theatre, films and larp.
MAX DOREY
Theatre Designer
Max trained in theatre design at Bristol Old Vic theatre school. As well as set and costume design he creates miniatures and other artworks. His designs have been nominated for the Off West End awards 6 times, as well as the UK Theatre Awards. He was resident associate designer at the RSC in 2013, during which time he was also a Linbury Prize Finalist.
KYLE HIRANI
Bio to follow
KATIE HOOD
Bio to follow
CATHERINE ROCK
Puppeteer/ Puppet Maker/ Performer
Cat Rock is a Puppeteer, Film Maker, Fabricator, Performer and Artist with a Masters degree in Theatre and Performance. She studied at the University of Kent and Indiana University in the USA, she has been working in the puppetry industry ever since.
Cat has performed internationally and has worked with companies and industry professionals such as The Paper Cinema, Trigger Stuff, Mrervin Miller, Olly Tayler, Jimmy Grimes, Peter Elliout, Oddpost, Bedlam Oz and Greenpeace.
BEKI WILLS
Multi-disciplinary Artist
Beki has dabbled in almost anything and everything from music events, photography, design and theatre stuff. She’ll never say no but has come to the realisation that working for free, low pay doesn’t make her kids or the bank very happy. These days you’ll mostly find her with a paintbrush in hand, struggling with complicated, multilayered macabre and slightly off paintings. A life long devotee of rare soul music, science fiction and obscure horror films of the 70s and 80s. Nice.
HELENA HOUGHTON
Bio to follow
CHATRAPATI AKULA
Bio to follow
If you would like to become a Puppet Place Resident please contact Eloise: info@puppetplace.org
ASSOCIATE ARTISTS:
Our Associate Artists are part of our wider community of puppeteers, puppet makers, model makers, animators in the UK. They work in a variety of settings from community arts to the animation industry. For further information on Associate Artists click here
