“Everyone considers themselves beginning puppeteers. Some folks are really experimenting with storytelling through puppetry,” says Ash Winkfield, a puppeteer, vocalist, poet, and actor based in New York City.

Ash speaks of their work as an artistic associate and the residency coordinator for Puppet Showplace Theater’s Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers, an incubator affiliate space specifically for black creators. The residency supports research and development in the exploration of puppetry for artists across a range of experiences in the medium through financial contributions and an online community. 

Many of the meetings for the residency cohort feature expert artists in the field shedding light on new ways to incorporate puppetry as a storytelling device as well as important information from the business side of the art form. 

Ash was a part of the 2023 cohort for the Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers. From finding mentors to building community with black artists from across the country, this residency provided them an important space for collaboration and connection in addition to learning more about the art of puppetry. 

 “It was a really great opportunity to meet black puppeteers from across the country,” Ash says. 

In reflecting on their cohort experience as a participant and now as an administrator, Ash speaks to what people typically miss when bringing a new piece into the world. 

“More than anything: belief in oneself,” Ash says. “The people who have really created a name for themselves or created a particular style believe in their imagination and believe in their work beyond anything else,” Ash said. 

Citing puppetry artist and director Basil Twist as a mentor, Ash explains that belief in yourself and your vision can be the key to developing your signature style as a puppeteer and an artist. 

On working with Basil Twist, Ash described his process through the question “What does it mean to create and animate these massive artworks and be able to tell stories through them?” 

As Ash dove deeper into the creative process, they were emphatic about the experience of different perspectives from puppeteers and directors working together in synthesis to build a truly unique and collaborative piece. 

“Because of the collaborative nature of puppetry, any time you are starting a new show, inevitably there is some type of devising happening. It's the people you have in the room that will make or break your show.” 

Through Ash’s experience as a professional puppeteer and artist, they know the power of collaborative storytelling told through fantastical moving art pieces. Through their participation in and work at Puppet Showplace’s Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers, they are able to explore and share skills with their community. 

To learn more, check out the Puppet Showplace Theater and the Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers website. 

Ash Winkfield is the recipient of a Henson Foundation Workshop grant for their new piece Water Walker. To keep up with Ash and their many creative endeavors check out their website.