Flood, outskirts of Manila. For increasing numbers of families in the Philippines and elsewhere in South East Asia, severe flooding is a grim and hazardous part of life

On set. The aim was to make a series of films that would reflect, but not starkly depict, reality, presenting preparedness and safety messages in ways children readily engage with

Michael Frith’s original drawings for Badu, hapless star of The Tales of Disasters. Advice from local partners was to give him a more generic look with Western clothing

On set, Flood / Landslide. Badu enjoys the fruits of his earnings from selling his hillside of ‘worthless’ trees. There are two key messages here: the key role of trees in mitigating against landslides, and the importance of keeping drains free of rubbish

Philippines: Children watching The Tales of Disasters, before taking part in a series of group work puppet activities to help them express and localise what they’ve learnt

Cambodia: After watching the Flood / Landslide film, a schoolboy works with classmates to identify where they would evacuate locally in case of a serious flood

Cebu, Philippines. A facilitator using the Tales of Disasters animating discussions for younger children with a range of homemade props. Here, discussing emergency kit items

Cambodia: A newly-trained puppeteer uses a hand puppet to encourage discussion

Puppet training Day One: Delegates from Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia and Philippines learn the basics at a No Strings workshop. Delegates then lead similar trainings at home

Workshop delegates rehearse a puppet scene, Cebu, Philippines

A school principal (white shirt) in Rizal, Philippines, teaching puppetry to local primary and secondary school teachers after attending a No Strings training of trainers workshop

Landslide! Teachers develop puppet scenes to at this Department of Education-led workshop in Rizal, Philippines, to demonstrate to children, and encourage them to create their own

Filipino schoolchildren watch a scene from 'Flood / Landslide'. Their school is highly vulnerable to this type of emergency

Preparing to shoot the 'whispers' scene, The Two Gardens