Always on
This project successfully funded on 14th November 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Smethwick Puppetry Festival 2026
Smethwick, West Midlands, United Kingdom
Aim
Help us bring more puppetry magic to Smethwick in Feb '26 – more shows, more workshops, more joy! All Pay What You Can for our community.
Smethwick Puppetry Festival transforms February half term into a week of joy, laughter, and connection. In 2025, over 1,400 people came together to see magical puppet shows, take part in workshops, and share moments they’ll never forget
“Absolute pure magic that you can't experience anywhere else.”
For 2026 we’re going BIGGER - more performances, more workshops and more venues! As we expand the festival, we want to keep our commitment to it being affordable, accessible and high quality.
A donation today means we can:
Keep the Festival Pay What You Can - Last year we were able to run the festival on a Pay What You Can basis, so no-one was left out. The average ticket donation was just under £3 – but every show we programme costs around £20 per audience member. To keep the festival 100% Pay What You Can and make it more financially sustainable, we need your help.
Guarantee More Performances - We will be programming many more shows across the festival with nationally renowned artists and makers.
Reach More Local People - We know that many people in Smethwick and the wider Black Country have few opportunities to regularly experience arts and culture. This year, we want to bring the festival to even more people, across even more community spaces.
As a thank you, we’re giving away some limited edition rewards to anyone who donates over £25.
Your pledge today helps bring the world of puppetry to Smethwick’s doorstep – and keeps it open to everyone. Let’s make this our most magical year yet.
Good to Know: It’s an actual real-life job being a puppeteer, and most of the performers we employ rely on their gigs for income. We are committed to paying our performers properly, with fair wages across the board.
What Our Audiences say:
“I really appreciated the pay what you can scheme - thanks so much.”
"A lovely idea, as not everyone has the funds to go to these kind of events."
“It's so brilliant when entertainment that's aimed at kids draws in the grownups too.”
“Brilliant performance we couldn't stop laughing. Great night out!”
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made