Spring 2026 Workshops!
Build a large-scale rod puppet from start to finish
Radical Puppetry, Theatre and Community-Built Spectacle
For over 30 years, Clay & Paper Theatre has brought physical theatre, giant puppets, public space performance, and neighbourhood art-making to the heart of Toronto.
What We Make Together
We create theatre with and for communities. Our theatre work lives outdoors, in parks, in parades, and in the hands of neighbours of all ages.
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Events & Festivals
Puppet and image-driven plays, parades, pageants, spectacles and annual celebrations like the Night of Dread Festival and our Winter Solstice Walk.
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Projects & Collaborations
Creative projects with neighbourhoods, earth-keepers and justice-seekers, and civic and cultural partners.
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Workshops
Hands-on performance and making workshops for different levels of interest and skills, including post-secondary and community workshops.
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Apprenticeships & Mentoring
Our long-standing program supporting emerging artists in puppetry, pageantry, design, and public space performance.
Spring Workshops:
Build a large-scale rod puppet from start to finish
Join Clay and Paper Theatre this spring for a six-session, hands-on exploration of large-scale rod puppetry!
Giant puppets are powerful tools for storytelling — at home in theatre, parades, celebrations, and public actions. Over six studio sessions, you'll design and build your own rod puppet from concept to completion, working with clay, papier-mâché, reclaimed fabric, and wood.
Along the way we'll dig into the history and social power of giant puppetry — how large-scale images work in public space, and why they matter.
Handmade. Community-rooted. Public. Bold.
Clay & Paper Theatre is devoted to theatre in public space because art belongs in the everyday life of the community. Our puppetry, pageantry, and performance practices are rooted in celebration, criticality, activism, and collaboration. Whether we’re building a giant puppet, leading a lantern workshop, or gathering a crowd for a street theatre performance, we create in ways that invite everyone to take part.
Support Community-Inspired Theatre and Art
Clay & Paper Theatre thrives because neighbours care about bold, accessible art in public space. Your support keeps our events free, our puppets wild, and our workshops welcoming to all.