We believe that diverse teams make the strongest teams, and we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.
 
Interns with What if Puppets work with the production side of our 35 year old puppet company under the guidance of our master artisans who specialize in puppet, costume, and scenic design and construction. Interns will assist in the creation of puppets, props, costumes and set pieces for touring, theatrical, and commercial works. Our goal is to expand artists ‘hirable’ skills by increasing their confidence in adapting their own practice to new forms in order to open doors for their career to expand. Following the successful completion of an internship, artists have the opportunity to apply to be on our roster of paid contract artists.

Tasks performed by previous interns have included:

Assisting in the construction of puppets using a variety of mediums

Sewing costume pieces

Sculpting puppet heads

Constructing sets and props (basic woodworking)

Painting puppets and scenery

Participating in collaborative problem solving unique to puppetry

Expected outcomes:

Confidence in working with a creative director to achieve project vision

Proficiency in working in a team situation

Strengthening of sewing, fabric construction and sculpting skills as they adapt to the novel ways these techniques are used in professional puppet making

Exposure to patternmaking and design principals for transforming 2D designs to 3D objects.


Educational benefits:

Interns will benefit from the unique problem-solving challenges of puppet theater. Everything we create must meet three criteria: it must be visually appealing, sturdy enough to withstand hundreds of performances, and function as a performance object. Interns will learn how to plan for these criteria in their time with us.


Ideal Candidates Qualification (need to feel strong in one or more of these):

Basic sewing 

Basic woodworking

Strong history in fabric manipulation

Character design

Innovative problem solving 


Internship Status:

Unpaid. Available for College Credit.


Schedule/# of hours:

We will work with you to reach the number of hours needed to fulfill school requirements.​ Our shop hours are M-F between 9:00-5:00.

Email Questions to:

jamie@whatifpuppets.org