Puppet Making and Puppetry Course – 2026

Piano to Puppet

A week long course making and using puppets using disused piano parts in Edinburgh’s legendary Pianodrome

At a Glance

1st – 8th August 2026 (provisional)
Granton Pianodrome
Advance booking needed

A Unique Exploration of Pianos and Puppets

Join us this summer in Edinburgh’s Pianodrome for a creative exploration of piano parts and puppets. We will dismantle a piano, make puppets out of the moving parts, practice manipulating them and plan a puppet show. The course will culminate with a puppet show set to live music in the Pianodrome at the start of Edinburgh’s Fringe festival.

Tutors

Mari Jones - Puppet Maker

Mari Jones – Making

Mari is a puppet maker and visual artist. She founded Picture to Puppet in 2012 and continues to run it. She was inspired to start making piano puppets after taking up the piano adopting a piano from the Pianodrome.

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Victoria Compson- Bradford – Performance

Victoria is a professional puppeteer, actor and puppetry teacher. She has recently finished touring with 101 dalmations and teaches puppetry at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

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Course Content

Things we will do

Dismantle a Piano

We will open up a disused piano and take out all the moving parts.

Character Creation

We will experiment with laying out piano parts to indicate characters. Students will be encouraged to explore a wide range of figures, sizes and styles.

Puppet Making

Participants will learn to construct their puppets using various tools, methods and control types.

Puppetry workshops

Participants will be guided in exploring creative means of expression through manipulating their puppets.

Show Development

Victoria will work lead the participants in designing and choreographing a performance to music in this fascinating space.

Final Show

The final show will take place in the Bruntsfield pianodrome at the beginning of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Apply to Join the Course

Tickets are not yet on sale and the price is TBC, but you can register your interest here and we will let you know as soon as they are.

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