Bermondsey Okinawa Day Puppet Workshop 2026
Make traditional Japanese Eisa Dancing Puppets with artist Miyuki Kasanara and enjoy live music, performance, food and unique culture from Okinawa, the southernmost islands of Japan. All ages welcome.
The puppets made at this event will be used at at our grand finale celebration in Bermondsey Spa Gardens on 12th July.. Put the date in your diary!
Miyuki Kasahara
Miyuki Kasahara is a Japanese artist based in London. Miyuki has worked extensively with communities and schools as an artist-educator, including projects with Bow Arts. Miyuki’s practice weaves her international heritage with contemporary concerns about ecology and social change to create drawing, film, installation, sculpture, and interactive performance. Miyuki Kasahara runs workshops for Okinawa Day each year in the Blue Market Place, sharing traditional Japanese arts and crafts techniques with families.
Okinawa Day
An annual family-friendly celebration showcasing music, dance, food, and crafts from the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan. Okinawa has a rich and distinct cultural heritage, shaped by its history as the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Enjoy Ryukyu classical music, Okinawan folk songs, Eisa dance, Ryukyu karate demonstrations, and traditional Okinawan cuisine. Food and crafts will be available from stalls run by the London Okinawa Sanshinkai.
Find out more about Okinawa Day
Bermondsey Puppet & Storytelling Festival 2026
A new family-friendly community festival is coming to Bermondsey in summer 2026. Bermondsey Puppet & Storytelling Festival will feature free puppetry and storytelling workshops across local schools, community venues and public spaces, leading to a lively outdoor celebration in Bermondsey Spa Gardens on Sunday 12 July, 12–5pm.
The finale will showcase community-made puppets alongside headline performances from internationally renowned storytellers including Usifu Jalloh, Emily Hanna, Marrianna Portello and Bernadette Russell. All events are free and open to all ages.
Find out more:
https://bermondsey.london/events/puppet-storytelling-festival-2026-bermondsey/
What to expect at the workshops
Free public workshops will take place across local venues and outdoor spaces, including sessions at The Blue Market and the finale in Bermondsey Spa Gardens. Led by professional storytellers and puppeteers, these hands-on sessions invite people of all ages to create puppets, share stories and learn the techniques that bring puppetry and storytelling to life. Participants can contribute ideas and creations towards the final community celebration. No experience is needed — just curiosity and imagination. Take home your creations and then bring them along to Bermondsey Spa Gardens on Sunday 12 July 12 – 5pm and join in with our finale show!
- Free drop-in workshop activity 12pm – 3pm
- Live performance : 12.30 – 4.30pm
- All ages welcome
- Disabled accessible
- Seating available
- Market open with places to eat and drink nearby
How to get there?
By bus
1, 381, P12
By train
South Bermondsey, Canada Water
By tube
Bermondsey
By car
Parking on St James Road (2 hour maximum). Free street parking available at weekends, please check signs for local restrictions.
Accessibility
Blue Market is an outdoor space all on one level with wide entrances, suitable for pushchair, wheelchairs and mobility vehicles. Seating available. Disabled access toilets in Blue Anchor Library.