Why Puppets?

The idea of using puppets as a tool for teaching life-saving messages came to Johnie McGlade many years ago during his work as an emergency aid co-ordinator at a feeding camp in Sudan, when an old puppet he had would draw crowds of children out of nowhere.

Puppets, he discovered, held a kind of magic. They were funny, unthreatening, and people hung on to their every word. They were, in short, an ideal medium through which to present vital safety messages to people whose lives had been torn apart by conflict or disaster.

In the West, those of a certain age understand this appeal of puppets, having grown up with shows like The Muppets, Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street. It was by pure coincidence, back in 2003, that Johnie fell into the path of two of the original core team on these shows, Kathy Mullen and Michael Frith, and between them the concept of No Strings was born.

Working together, Johnie, Kathy and Michael created a formula using beautifully-made, culturally-sensitive puppets and sets, using humour and adventure to put across key messages that could save a child's life.

Under Kathy and Michael's direction, No Strings enjoys the additional support of some of the world's leading puppeteers, for whom working on projects that can significantly reduce a child's risk of being hurt or killed, is a privilege.

Films are made to the highest professional standards, whilst in-country, locally-based facilitators are trained up by partner organisations to ensure that children understand their full educational content through follow-on question and answer sessions.

No Strings has caught the imagination of some long-established aid organisations who are frequently challenged by how best to get across vital educational messages in the countries in which they work, especially in the areas where literacy rates may be low.

With your help, we can reach many more children and their communities. Please, if you can, consider supporting the work we do.