Currently a freelance puppet maker, Saya Naruse wants to set up her own puppet-making workshop and create original touring productions that explore East Asian narratives. She has experience making puppets for theatre, dance and street performances, and is an alumnus of the Curious School of Puppetry. Funding from QEST is helping advance her skills in the endangered craft of marionette carving and Noh mask carving while developing a personal style.
Ever resourceful, Saya made her first puppets with recycled and reclaimed materials and has also devised a solo theatre show on the back of a tricycle under the apprenticeship of Thingumajig Theatre. Saya seeks to centre her work around social justice, human experience, and environmentalism. Her grant will enable her to attend training with marionette makers Lyndie Wright, John Roberts and Peter O’Rourke in the UK, and master Noh mask carvers in Japan, marrying skillsets from both of her heritages. She hopes to bring a contemporary approach to both crafts and see them enjoyed well into the future.
