School Puppet Incursions

Welcome to ‘Puppets with Purpose‘, our school puppet Incursion program in partnership with Artsbook

Wellbeing-Focused | Curriculum-Aligned | Queensland

Puppets with Purpose is a school incursion program delivered by Starlet Creative Industries, designed to support student wellbeing and health through storytelling and puppetry, while also meeting outcomes within the Australian Curriculum: The Arts (Version 9).

Programs are tailored to individual school needs, year levels and curriculum priorities, and are delivered on site in Queensland primary schools.

Bringing Puppet magic to schools

Our “Puppets in Schools – Puppets with Purpose” program offers an exciting, immersive way to teach valuable life lessons, engage students’ imaginations, and sparking creativity—all through the enchanting world of puppetry!

Meet our team

Meet our Puppets with Purpose Team

Marianne Buchanan

Facilitator/Director

Teacher/Founder

Hand-Held Puppets

Fun animal puppets for all participants to use!

Fromo

Friendly Monster Puppet with a big heart

Puppet Team

Big Puppets with a lot to say

Our Puppets with Purpose – Puppet Shows and Workshops

-Puppets in Schools Program-
Positive, Empowering, Curriculum Support

“Fun, engaging shows and workshops for kids of all ages and abilities!”

Bring the Magic of Puppetry to Life in Your School!

What can you expect from our programs?

✨ Interactive Workshops – Students don’t just watch; they create! In our hands-on workshops, they’ll explore the art of puppetry, craft their own stories, and bring characters to life.

✨ Flexible Scheduling – Whether you’re after a one-time workshop or a recurring program, we come to you! Our programs can run as a single session or weekly, right at your school.

Meeting Educational Standards with a Fun Twist

Program Overview

Each Puppets with Purpose incursion follows a clear, engaging learning sequence that supports both Health and Wellbeing and Arts learning.

1. Themed Puppet Show

Each program begins with a live puppet performance, with the theme developed in consultation with the school. Stories are intentionally designed to support Health and Wellbeing curriculum priorities, using age-appropriate, engaging and safe storytelling.

Common wellbeing themes include:

Emotions and self-regulation
Empathy, kindness and relationships
Resilience and problem-solving
Social situations and communication

Puppetry provides a powerful and accessible way for students to explore wellbeing concepts through story.

Real-World Themes for Real-World Challenges

From leadership and bullying to mental health, friendship, and more, our puppets tackle issues relevant to students today. Through age-appropriate stories, we help students explore topics like:

Cyberbullying
Screen addiction
Friendship
Self-image
Discrimination
Sustainability
And many more…

Puppets with Purpose: A Unique Approach to Learning

Puppetry & Drama Workshop

Following the performance, students take part in a hands-on puppetry workshop, where they learn how to become puppeteers.Students:

Explore role, character, relationships and situation and develop skills in movement, voice, focus and collaboration

Create and share their own puppet characters and stories

This learning directly aligns with Drama Content Descriptors and Achievement Standards within The Australian Curriculum: The Arts, supporting both Making and Responding in Drama.

What Educators Are Saying

“Thank you so much for your program! It ties in beautifully with what we’ve been learning about emotions and relationships. I’ll be able to follow this up in the classroom!”

“Your work addresses areas of the Health Curriculum—like Friendship and Relationships—that I’ve struggled to cover on my own. This is exactly what we needed!”

“Your Incursions are so accessible, the price is very affordable and I love that every time you come back your shows are completely different!”

Flexible Pricing for Schools and Organisations

Schools:

All-day packages start at $500 plus $2.00 per student (additional costs may incur due to travel and GST). This includes hour-long sessions tailored for each class level.
Half day packages start at $300 plus $2.00 per student.

Organisations:

Hourly sessions for $350.

Whether your school is well-funded or faces financial challenges, we strive to make our programs accessible through donations and sponsorships. Our mission is to make every child feel valued, understood, and confident.