After The Muppet Christmas Carol screening, join Mayo Street Arts educator, Josie Colt, for a hands-on puppet-making workshop inspired by the film’s iconic characters.
$15 per puppet; Registration required
Ages 7+ (caregivers required to accompany minors)
In this hands-on workshop, participants will create puppets manipulated in the same manner as the Muppets (known as “hand-and-rod” puppets) using simple materials like tea boxes.
Participants will explore their puppet’s personality through movement and voice, then share a short vignette with the group. All materials provided. No prior experience needed—just imagination.
Josie Colt (she/they) is a Portland based artist, educator, and community arts organizer who has performed puppetry with Mayo Street Arts, the Shoestring Theater, and Bread & Puppet Theater. Her animation work has been featured in award winning short films, and she directed two short films for Portland’s Damnationland in 2023 and 2024. They serve on the Audience Engagement Committee of Friends of Congress Square Park, where they are most likely to set up Portraits As You Pass, and where they have organized events like Coloring and Coffee. They are also an organizer behind Portland Drawing Group and Animation Planet Fest, making art opportunities more accessible to Maine’s creative community. Josie enjoys working with all ages and has taught at various organizations including Shelburne Craft School, Bowdoin Art Camp, MSA’s RAD! Summer Youth Program, and at Baxter Academy High School.