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Bermondsey Okinawa Day Puppet Workshop 2026
Make Dugoug Puppets with artist Miyuki Kasahara 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!
About the Dugoug Puppet workshop
Using paper cups, paper cards, paper straws and tape to create the structure of the Dugong puppet. Inspired by the Okinawan traditional dye Bingata, we can decorate the puppet with colour pens. Bingata is born in Okinawa 14 century, typically features nature motifs of native fauna and flora in numbers of bright colours. (Short video link of a sample puppet I made here, this can be used for instagram you can add okinawa / Sansinkai music? Images of the puppet below are also for publicity.)
Dugong (one species) and Manatee (three species) are the only surviving members of the order Sirenia aka sea cows, a close relative of the elephant. In Okinawa, the dugong is called Zan and it has long been revered as a spiritual symbol, a messenger of the gods and a model for mermaids, a mystical being that connects the sea and humanity. In the Yaeyama region, it has been part of the food culture for over 3500 years, and there is a history of reverence for it as a sacred creature, with folktales of dugongs marrying fishermen and stories of them saving people from tsunamis.
Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are considered excellent, high-level indicators of marine ecosystem health, specifically for coastal seagrass habitats. Because they rely entirely on seagrass for survival, their presence, population density, and physical condition directly reflects the health of their environment. Dugongs act as “underwater gardeners.” By grazing, they stimulate the growth of younger, more nutritious seagrass, which helps maintain productive seagrass meadows. However, currently the dugong is close to extinction globally due to habitat loss. The IUCN lists the dugong as a species vulnerable to extinction. In Okinawa, an endangered species, they haven’t been sighted lately but its faeces and traces have been reported around the Islands, suggesting they may still be inhabiting the waters around Okinawa.
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 : 11am – 5pm
- 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.