We have had the opportunity to work with apprentices interested in Puppet Theatre and/or Community Based Arts.

In 2016, at the request of Aidan Sparks who had enjoyed helping to untangle our string puppets for many years, we held a Marionette Mentorship Programme with a small group of youth, out of which Robin and the Timeless Forest (2016) was created. Artists who’d been part of our marionette shows in the past helped guide each step of the way - Molly March, Cathy Stubington, Stephan Bircher, Zompopo Flores. We were fortunate to receive a grant from BC Arts Youth Engagement programme, which supported apprentices.

Jesse Orr and Hannah Morrow came from Concordia University’s Theatre in Development program to be part of the core team for In the Shade and Sawllkwa (2010), and Leah Goldie helped out with Tuwitames (2014) as part of the same programme. Natalia Hautala, a student at UBCO, was part of the first Bird Stilts Chorus (2012) and was lead choreographer for their appearance. Puppeteer Maggie Winston joined us as an apprentice for Food for Thought - In the Shade, and “A Lot on your Plate”, and Lolu Oyedele did a post-graduate apprenticeship during which he was part of Birds On Parade and Robin and the Timeless Forest (2018).

There has often been a youth assistant be part of In the Shade as well. - thanks to Harper Friedman, Emily Christian, Jade Christian, Dulcie Thompson, Aidan Sparks and others.