Why we must not let puppet-making go extinct in the UK
We all know there is something special about anything made with skill and care by human hands
According to a recent estimate, there are between six and 20 people in the UK working full- or part-time making puppets, putting it on Heritage Craft’s endangered list alongside kilt and sporran-making, harp-making and umbrella-making.
Stephen Foster, 47, from East Kilbride, is one of the few keeping the craft alive. “A good live theatre experience is incredible,” he said, adding that “puppet theatre is an entryway for most kids into theatre”.
There can be up to a month’s work in a single puppet, and learning how to be good at making them can take a long time – Foster made his first in a woodwork class at school.
In this world of AI-generated content, sometimes derided as ‘slop’, puppets may seem almost ridiculously outdated. However, we all know there is something special about anything made with skill and care by human hands and the fact that children warm to them more than adults is a real indication of that.
And if AI ever makes us forget the value of true craftsmanship, we might find that we’re the puppets, not the masters.
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