About Sean Manners
Community artist and puppeteer
“I built my first puppet when I was around 5 years old. I have been imagining, creating, and building ever since.”
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Arts background
Sean’s arts background started at a very young age. He has been involved in the arts and community arts for over forty years. Presenting puppet shows. Running art activities. Facilitating public and community art projects in the UK and Australia.
Building puppets from the age of six, he had his own seven person puppet company by the time he entered High School. Sean performed and toured with Norwich Puppet Theatre, one of UK’s leading puppet companies. He came to Australia in 1987.
Australia
Sean roamed Australia in a motorhome with his wife Mandy, dog Tessa, and a Punch and Judy show. Settling in Bathurst, NSW, Sean worked in the Theatre Media department at Charles Sturt University. Whilst there he had the opportunity to work with Welfare State International, a world leading celebratory theatre company.
He started Pelican Puppets in 1992. The same year he became a community artist and worked on “Homage to the Elements”. An outdoor community arts spectacular held on the Central Coast of NSW.
Pelican Puppets was established in 1992. Lets Make in 2016. The focus is on:
- Facilitating the transfer of skills to the community
- Workshops in puppet making, mosaics, flag making, and lantern creation
- Puppet performance and puppet building
- Large image construction
Sean has worked throughout Australia. In communities. At festivals. In schools and vacation care centres. In community gardens, art galleries and libraries. He now focuses on working in his home state of Tasmania.