A Brief History and Background

No Strings has now been going for five years. At its simplest level, we're a production company, making films according to the needs of local development organisations, part of whose mission it is is to teach children and other groups vital messages that will help protect them from danger or illnesses in the countries they work in.

No Strings helps define those messages, we work with some of the best people in the industry to turn them into fun and exceptionally high quality puppet films, and we train facilitators from in-country partner organisations in special ways to deliver the films, so that audiences have maximum opportunity to absorb the learning points and consider their application to their own lives.

The initial idea for No Strings came about when emergency aid coordinator Johnie McGlade started using an old puppet during his work in conflict and emergency zones around the world. He was always amazed at the draw it had; with a puppet on his arm, Johnie found himself much more able to capture the attention of a crowd in displacement camps, for example, and share important messages - when people should expect to get food and water every day, where to find medical aid, and so on. 

In 2003, a mutual friend introduced him to Kathy Mullen and Michael Frith, two of the original leading names on The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock and many other film and TV favourites. Kathy and Michael profoundly understood the educational value of puppets after decades of working in specialised children's TV, and for a long time, had been thinking up ways to use their skills to support the wellbeing and safety of children in the developing world.

No Strings was founded with plans for a first film, ChucheQhalin, which would teach children landmine-safety lessons in Afghanistan, and where Johnie had regularly worked. Since then we have created a range of programmes for Sri Lanka, Indonesia, East Timor, the Philippines and East Africa, with plans for future film series for various parts of the world.

Short Biographies

Johnie McGlade, Programmes Director

As emergency coordinator and field director with the Irish aid organisation GOAL and then War Child, Johnie has 14 years humanitarian aid experience in conflict and post-disaster zones in countries like Angola, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Kosovo, and East Timor. He set up No Strings with Kathy and Michael after coming to understand the appeal of puppets when he used them in IDP camps to get out essential messages that were often difficult to communicate.

Michael Frith, Design Director

Former executive vice president and director of creative services at the Jim Henson Company, where he worked for 21 years. Michael was also co-creator of Fraggle Rock, Muppet Babies, Dog City, and The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, among others, and has designed scores of TV's most popular characters, from Sesame Street to The Muppet Show and many other Henson productions.

Kathy Mullen, Artistic Director

Principal puppeteer with the Henson Company for 10 years where she performed many well-loved characters. Kathy went on to play puppet leads in other TV shows like Nickelodeon's Allegra's Window, and the hugely successful PBS reading series, Between the Lions, which, as with Fraggle Rock, she co-created and wrote with Michael Frith. Kathy has extensive puppet building, writing and film producing and directing experience.

From top: Founder Johnie McGlade with puppet ChucheQhalin and children in Herat, Afghanistan; Michael Frith with puppet Jaladul in Newcastle, UK; Kathy Mullen on the ChucheQhalin set