Supporting the design, manufacture and performance of puppets.
Occupational Profile
Assistant Puppet Makers (APM) support the design, manufacture (making) and performance of puppets for theatre, film, TV, carnival, animation, applied puppetry and outdoor arts. They may work for a single Senior Puppet Maker or as part of a wider technical and performance team led by a Creative Director. They are responsible for contributing to the care of their puppets, including how they are handled, stored, transported and used during a performance/production. They must know how to undertake basic repairs to puppets and choose appropriate materials for manufacture to aid their preservation.
APMs must know how to design basic puppets suitable to the performance/production using appropriate technical drawing methods, and must be able to manufacture puppets to their own or others’ designs, selecting the most suitable materials for the conditions the puppet will be used in, for example: weather tolerant if used for outdoor performances, of sturdy structure if used for immersive/audience interactive performances, or resistant to heat and light damage if used in close proximity to theatre lighting. APMs must understand the best application and likely lifespan of different materials and be confident making puppets from a range of materials such as paper, wood, papier mache, foam, wire, metal, rubber, acrylic and soft materials. They must understand the required movement of puppets depending on the performance, and apply design and build methods to ensure said requirements can be met. This may include the application and use of traditional strings, robotics or digital programming.
APMs must be confident in the use and maintenance of hand and machine tools and materials relevant to their puppetry setting(s) such as those outlined above. They must meet minimum Health and Safety requirements associated with puppet making, including how to keep oneself and team members safe, in line with company policies.
Alongside the design and manufacture of puppets, APMs must also have awareness of the performance of puppets for live and recorded productions, and as such must have knowledge of creative performance principles to ensure puppets can be animated in line with performance scripts.
Summary of Standard
https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/assistant-puppet-maker/
Full Standard
https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/media/3709/st0476_assistant-puppet_maker_l3_ap.pdf
