About - The Squeaking Tribe

WHO WE ARE…

Hey there! We are The Squeaking Tribe, a touring exhibition of marionettes and interactive effigies that have been delighting audiences and connoisseurs of the creative arts for over 25 years. Established in 1996 by myself, Sol, and now joined by my Canadian wife and partner, Sara Lee, we meticulously create by hand thousands of individual, fully-functioning marionette puppets for performance, play and aesthetic display, travelling our gallery of strange innovations and visionary tributes wherever our story takes us.

Every marionette we make, whether part of a select series or a unique one-off design, is an original piece of performative art which can be used to act out stories and fables, entertain audiences or educate people as a teacher’s aid. Displayed individually, they inspire people with both their colour and character and act as an important reminder of the age-old craft of storytelling. Taken altogether as an elaborate display, we evoke an immersive wonderland of the imagination where people of all ages can explore and experiment with the Lost World of puppetry.

We invite you to join us on our weird and wonder-filled ride!

WHAT WE DO…

The Squeaking Tribe offers a wide array of various services, thanks to the diversity of appeal and application inherent in the Art of Puppetry.

FESTIVALS

As an immersive exhibition, we fashion highly-interactive environments in any public space where people can not only admire and perhaps purchase a handmade marionette or three, but also try their own hand at a rare aspect of performance art not usually made available.

At festivals and events, we delight in adding a unique and colourful atmosphere which likewise contributes to the distinctive quality of the event, and are often the talking point for many a discerning patron. We publicly demonstrate the basic principles behind marionette manipulation and teach some of the fundamentals of puppetry through interactive exercises, games and impromptu performances.

When placed adjacent to music venues and similar stages, we also help to increase the level of pageantry and play these arenas naturally promote. Here at the Tribe, we are proud to call ourselves “more than just a stall”… we are a strange, new world to be explored and celebrated, a museum of collected curiosities with a simple yet rarely-seen motto: “Please touch!”

WORKSHOPS

Besides the touring exhibition, as practicing artists specialising in puppet making we offer a variety of different workshops which teach people the basic elements of the craft and inspire them in designing and making their very own marionettes.

We teach a range of different skills throughout any one workshop including character-design, clay work, sculpture, costume-design, painting and stringing-techniques. These workshops are available to anyone of any age; school groups, art classes, workshop programs and community groups.

With the variety of creative platforms available to us, we can also tailor our workshops specific to the time restrictions or financial demands of the group, whether a 2-hour children’s event or a full 3-week adult education tutorial.

CUSTOMS

The Squeaking Tribe also offers custom-made marionettes for those people with a more specific design in mind.

While many people are happy to shop from whatever new trove of puppets we are presenting, many might prefer to wait a little longer and have something truly unique crafted for them.

Whether a caricature of themselves or a friend, a creature or character from popular culture, or an interactive effigy entirely of their own design, we can make anything and absolutely love a new challenge!

Depending on our touring commitments at the time, this can be a somewhat lengthy process so anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks should be expected.

WHY WE DO IT…

There’s nothing we at the Squeaking Tribe like more than inspiring and encouraging others to engage in the world around them, to ignite their imaginations and expand their experiences in ways which contribute creatively to society at large, much as we do.

Every sale we make is not so much a sale but an adoption, matching one person to their specific puppet and seeing that relationship, the shared story, begin. Because of this, we much prefer to establish ourselves in grassroots festivals and events where the spirit of a community thrives rather than the more exclusive environs of a gallery space or corporate gathering.

Our work attracts the attention of such a range of different people from very different lifestyles and backgrounds and it is because of their support and patronage that we have done what we love for better than 25 years.