Building on the success of the Butterfly Project, we are about to launch our next youth initiative for 2026: The Flying Puppet Project.
This will bring together ten vulnerable young people, aged 14 to 17, from across the Bath & North East Somerset area for a new creative journey. This time, the focus will be on contemporary puppetry, alongside circus skills and public performance training.
This year, we are again partnering with The Willow Project. We are pleased to also be partnering with Above & Beyond, the circus trapeze training school and Green Ginger, an internationally known puppetry studio.
Through hands-on workshops, participants will:
- Learn circus and movement skills
- Explore contemporary puppetry design and manipulation
- Develop teamwork and communication
- Build confidence through creative expression
The project will culminate in a public puppet show – and potentially a filmed performance – at the festival this year, giving these young people a platform to share their voices with the wider community.
For those who demonstrate strong circus skills, there will also be opportunities to take part in public performances at the festival with Above & Beyond — an exciting chance to step onto a larger stage and shine.
As organisers, we see this as the natural evolution of our youth work. The Butterfly Project showed us what’s possible when we invest in young people’s potential. The Flying Puppet Project will take that energy even further — combining creativity, performance and community connection in a bold and inspiring new way.
Because at Keynsham, we don’t just build stages.
We build confidence, opportunity and futures.