Guardians of the Wild Wood: A Spellbound Puppetry Workshop (ages 8-12)
Description
Inspired by Hettie Nettle’s Handbook for Hedgewitches by Claire Barker, this magical workshop is a collaboration between Storybox Drama and Ipuppets.
Something strange is happening in the Wild Wood… and it needs brave guardians to save it. Could that be you?
Step into the Wild Wood and discover your role as a Hedgewitch or Hedgewizard, looking after the forest and all who live there. With the help of the forest folk, you’ll mend what’s broken, tend what’s growing, and restore the magic of the Wild Wood.
🌿 As a guardian of the Wild Wood, you will:
🔮 Craft your very own wand and learn to cast spells
🐿 Create a unique forest folk puppet to take home
🧵 Discover the secrets of puppetry and bring your character to life
🌲 Work together on a magical mission to save the forest
This is a hands-on, imagination-filled adventure where stories come alive and you are part of the magic!
For ages 8-12
Lineup
Presenter: Samantha Bates
Samantha is a Christchurch-based teacher and performing‑arts specialist with 17 years’ experience teaching in primary schools. She recently founded her own business Storybox Drama where she offers after school classes and school holiday workshops. She is a passionate advocate for children’s literature and illustration, seeing picture books as many children’s first encounters with art. Sam uses Process Drama to empower children to step into stories and express themselves in creative ways. She believes in the innate creativity within every child and loves to nurture this.
Presenter: Ifat Vayner-Itzkovitch
Ifat is a Christchurch-based international puppeteer and creator who has been blending puppetry, dance, and physical theatre in surprising and delightful ways for the past 15 years. She specialises in “Puppet Therapy” for groups and individuals, combining drama, performance, and creative expression. She develops educational puppetry programmes for schools, communities, and diverse age groups, and creates puppets for theatre productions, festivals, cultural events, and her own shows. Since moving to Christchurch, she has been creating puppets and guiding actors from Hagley Theatre School for the production Wonder.
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