The Treetop Circus Performance & Workshop
by Flying with Strings Marionette Theatre
Saturday 11 April 2026, 10.30am - 12pm
£3.61 (includes booking fee)
Venue: MAKE Southwest
Suitable for: Ages 5+
Puppet maker and MAKE Southwest Maker Member, Sarah Vigars, is currently exhibiting as part of our Jubilee Gallery exhibition: KINETIC: Where craft meets engineering.
Roll up! Roll up! Roll up! Count Cuckoo’s Treetop Circus is coming to a woodland near you!
Watch in wonder at the nimble fingered, nut-cracking escapades of Little Red the Juggler. Prepare to be astounded by the high energy hijinks of Grey-Trix the Magician. Hold your breath in disbelief at the gravity-defying aerial antics of Dartmoor's own marvellous mustelid The Flying Pine Marten… Set in the ancient woodlands of Dartmoor, The Treetop Circus is a strange, silly, mad and magical puppet show for families, inspired by the Two Moors Pine Marten project, a conservation project that has reintroduced once native pine martens back to Dartmoor and Exmoor.
Inspired by the aerial antics of the charismatic tree climbing pine marten, there will be a craft workshop where you will make your very own dancing pine marten puppet out of paper and card!
Performance run time: 35 mins
Puppet making workshop: 45 mins - 1 hour (all materials will be provided)
We ask for an adult to accompany workshop participants for the workshop duration. Please purchase tickets for participating children only. Accompanying adults do not need to purchase a ticket.
Puppeteer / puppet maker: Sarah Vigars
Composer / musician: Louis Bingham
This event is taking place at MAKE Southwest but is being organised by the Devon Wildlife Trust - tickets can only be purchased through Devon Wildlife Trust using the link below. If you cannot attend the event and need to cancel your place, you will need to contact the Devon Wildlife Trust directly using the details on your booking confirmation email,
Please note that Devon Wildlife Trust will be taking photos at this event for use on DWT social media channels, website, publications and for general publicity purposes. If you do not wish for your photo (or your child’s photo) to be taken during the event, please let a member of staff know.
This event is part of the Two Moors Pine Marten Project which is made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to the #NationalLottery players, this project aims to restore healthy populations of pine martens to the South West of England.
The Treetop Circus was commissioned in 2025 by Libraries Unlimited with funding from Arts Council England and Exeter Live Better.
In 2026, Flying with Strings Marionette Theatre will be working in partnership with the Devon Wildlife Trust, Libraries Unlimited and Villages in Action to deliver shows and workshops to communities in rural Devon.
On the Day
All tools and materials will be provided. Please do wear comfortable / old clothes. Aprons will be provided if needed.
All participating children must be accompanied by a supervising parent or adult.
Tea, coffee and biscuits alongside water and orange squash will be available throughout the workshop. Our Café is also open should you wish to purchase other refreshments on the day.
On arrival, please enter the building via the shop, follow the arrows to the café, through the galleries and up the internal stairs. Make your way through the café and through the glass double doors to the workshop. Please let us know if you require the lift.
Please be aware that you cannot use the Co-op car park for all day parking. The Methodist Church car park and Station Road car park usually have plenty of spaces. Click here for more information on our location and car parking for the day.
If you have prior knowledge that you cannot attend the workshop day, please do get in touch so we can offer your ticket to someone on our waiting list. View MAKE Southwest's Cancellation Policy, HERE.