Puppet Place
WHERE
Bristol
What it’s like
Puppetry and circus workshops in Bristol, from shadow puppets to stop-motion, but only by arrangement, not a walk-in venue.
This isn't a drop-in attraction. Puppet Place is a working studio where resident artists make and perform puppetry, and the sessions on offer read like a proper crafts menu: button marionettes, handkerchief marionettes, shadow puppet making, found object puppetry and stop-motion animation tasters. There's circus skills too. Kids who like making things with their hands rather than watching a show will get a lot more out of this than the ones after a big spectacle.
The catch is access. It's not generally open to the public, so you can't just turn up on a Saturday. You email ahead to arrange a visit, and workshops need pre-booking because capacity's limited, so sort your spot before you plan the day around it. The one exception is Harbour Festival or Bristol Open Doors, when the doors open up once a year for anyone to wander in.
Getting there without a car is fairly easy, with the Metrobus m2 stopping five minutes away and Temple Meads a 25 minute walk. Driving is more of a faff, parking's tight on Hanover Place and only Pay and Display Monday to Friday, so the SS Great Britain car park nearby is the safer bet, and check whether your car falls under the Clean Air Zone before you set off.
Worth flagging before you book: the main building has uneven floors and isn't set up for wheelchair users or anyone unsteady on their feet, there's no accessible toilet and no baby changing on site. If any of that matters for your family, it's worth working out beforehand rather than finding out at the door.
Facilities
Need to know
- Booking
- Pre-book required for workshops
- Parking
- Limited on-street Pay & Display on Hanover Place (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
- Wheelchairs
- Main building not wheelchair accessible
- Getting there by bus or train
- Bristol Temple Meads station 25 mins walk
- Email ahead, this is by arrangement, not a walk-in venue
- Workshops fill up, so book your spot in advance
- Some vehicles are affected by the Clean Air Zone near Hanover Place
- Bike parking's available if you'd rather skip the parking hassle altogether
- The Harbour Festival or Bristol Open Doors day is your chance to just wander in
Plan your visit
Can we just turn up?
No, it's not generally open to the public. Email ahead to arrange a visit, or catch it during Harbour Festival or Bristol Open Doors once a year.
Do we need to book the workshops?
Pre-booking's required and spaces are limited, so get your name down early.
Is there parking?
It's tight. Hanover Place has Pay and Display Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, or you can use the SS Great Britain car park five minutes' walk away.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
The main building isn't, with uneven floors and no accessible toilet. The Rehearsal Studio has a ground floor entrance and small ramp, but the toilet doorways are too narrow for wheelchairs.
Is there baby changing?
There isn't any on site.
How do we get there without a car?
The Metrobus m2 stops five minutes away at SS Great Britain, running every 10 minutes on weekdays, or it's a 25 minute walk from Temple Meads.
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