Hello and welcome to another episode of the Perception Podcast with me your host Caroline Partridge. In this episode, I talk to theatre director, puppet whisperer, author and Artistic Director of Theatre-Rites, Sue Buckmaster. Sue is often asked to speak about the high profile projects that she's working on but in this fascinating conversation we talk about all the things that have formed her, from her extraordinary family background, to her deep desire to better herself and the debilitating illness that changed the course of her career. Sue also shares what she thinks are the ingredients that make a good puppeteer, the place of politics in children's theatre and why we as humans respond so emotionally to puppets. Please join me as we look at life through a different lens.     KEY TAKEAWAYS Puppetry is a powerful art form that allows audiences to project their emotions onto objects, creating a deep connection and cathartic experience. Children's theatre is often undervalued but provides a unique opportunity to engage young minds, sparking their imagination and encouraging them to question the world around them. Embracing your personal struggles, such as illness or lack of education, can lead to a more profound understanding of yourself and ultimately enrich your artistic practice. The rehearsal process is a crucial part of creating theatre, allowing for experimentation, failure, and growth, which ultimately leads to a more authentic and impactful final product. Access to the arts, both for audiences and practitioners, is essential for fostering a more inclusive and understanding society. Spirituality, magic, and the feminine power are important elements in Sue's work, allowing her to explore deeper themes and connect with audiences on a more profound level. Process is often more important than the final product in theatre, as it allows for personal and artistic growth, as well as the development of meaningful relationships. Politics in children's theatre is about allowing young people to practice being political beings, questioning the world around them and forming their own opinions. BEST MOMENTS "I didn't have any energy. What energised me, what could I watch or do that made me feel like I had some? And then I gradually got some, and what did that really feel like?" "Children's theatre is young people practising to be political beings. They haven't decided yet. That's why I quite like hanging out with them." "It's human nature to connect. And, you know, it's important that we think of the earth as, and nature as this object, that this, this exchange of energy that it holds up." "I can proudly own many parts of myself. Um, but thankfully to women now who are doing what they're doing now, I love women now and artists now. I'm so grateful to them, and I would do anything to imbue them more with more power, um, for the good, for the good." "Rehearsals are just the tipping moment when you're sorting it out. It's like rehearsal. I think people tend to go, oh, it takes four weeks to make that show. And that's the wrong thing. So that's why I like to talk more about process, process as product."   ABOUT THE GUEST Dr Sue Buckmaster is the Artistic Director of Theatre-Rites, a puppetry expert and the fifth generation of theatre practitioners in her family. Since 1996 she has directed over 30 site-specific and theatre productions for Theatre-Rites including: the award-winning Mischief, a co-production with Sadler’s Wells and the Dance Touring Partnership and The Welcoming Party  a co-production with Manchester International Festival and the Ruhrtriennale Festival. In 2023 Sue directed an adapted version of Zoe’s Peculiar Journey Through Time (originally a co-production with Burgtheater Vienna); created Something In The Air, a co-production with Schauspeilhaus Bochum, and in 2024 she directed Journey of a Refugee for Croydon Borough of Culture (an adaptation of The Welcoming Party).