Amanda Saxby is a puppet maker and puppeteer based in the East Midlands, whose practice explores puppetry as a powerful artistic medium capable of addressing complex emotional and social themes beyond traditional children’s entertainment.
Her work investigates how puppetry can act as a conduit for difficult emotions, transferring sensitive subjects from humans to inanimate forms and creating a safe psychological distance through which audiences can engage with challenging experiences.
A self-taught sculptor and maker, Amanda studied puppetry in Athens, Greece, with master puppet maker and puppeteer Stathis Markopoulos. She later continued her studies in puppet construction with Belgo-Russian artist Natascha Belova in Belgium.
Amanda is best known for creating life-size wearable puppets that share one arm and both legs with the performer, giving the illusion of an autonomous being existing alongside the puppeteer or actor. These hybrid forms can be used in a variety of performance settings, including visible puppetry and black light theatre.
The Artist
Sustainability is central to Amanda’s practice. She works primarily with clay, biodegradable thermoplastic, recycled foam, repurposed clothing, and cardboard, integrating environmentally conscious methods into both the making process and the final performance works.
She has designed and performed two solo productions presented in Greece and across venues in the United Kingdom. Amanda has also written a short, thought-provoking monologue exploring a woman’s experience of midlife, which was selected for broadcast on BBC Radio.
Amanda was awarded a free creative space in her hometown through the UK charity The Artist’s Window, enabling her to further develop community-focused work and contribute creatively to the local area.
Her artistic practice forms part of a broader holistic approach to wellbeing and human connection. Alongside her work in puppetry, Amanda is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher and practitioner, and facilitates a non-profit bi-monthly women’s circle.
Prior to repatriating to the U.K. Amanda lived In Athens, Greece since 1989, where she had a long and successful career teaching English as a foreign and Second language through art as a medium to children and adults.
The Making
