Inspirate and Kala The Arts are looking for three puppeteers to help bring our large-scale procession, Ancient Giants to life at Diwali Light It Up in Basingstoke this autumn. This is a paid, one-day opportunity, and we are keen to hear from artists based in Basingstoke and across Hampshire.

Role	Puppeteer (3 positions)
Production	Ancient Giants (walkabout version), presented by Inspirate
Event	Diwali Light It Up, led by Kala the Arts
Location	Basingstoke town centre, Hampshire
Date	Friday 23 October 2026 (one day)
Fee	£200 for the day, inclusive of expenses — covers rehearsal and performance
Application deadline	Sunday 4 October 2026
Apply to	jiten@inspirate.org

About Ancient Giants

Ancient Giants is a spectacular family-friendly street theatre performance created and produced by Inspirate, a South Asian-led arts organisation that celebrates the intertwined cultures of South Asia and the UK. The show features two striking giant puppets — Hanuman, the Monkey God, and Ravana, the Demon King — drawn from South Asian mythology, and brings their story to life through large-scale puppetry, dance and movement. For Diwali Light It Up, we will be delivering a walkabout version of the show as part of a large-scale evening procession, alongside a short performance earlier in the day.

About the Event

Diwali Light It Up is led by Kala the Arts and takes place in Basingstoke town centre on Friday 23 October 2026. It is a joyful, family-focused celebration culminating in an evening procession through the town. Inspirate is leading on the Ancient Giants element of the event.

The Role

As one of our three puppeteers, you will operate and animate the giant puppets, working closely as a team to give them character, presence and movement. You will perform to family audiences both in a short daytime performance and within the evening procession, interacting warmly with the public along the way. Full guidance and a rehearsal will be provided on the day, so you do not need prior experience of these specific puppets – but you do need the physical skill and stage presence to carry them off.

Schedule for the Day

The event runs across the day of Friday 23 October 2026. The outline below is a guide and may be refined closer to the time. There will be a comfortable gap of at least 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes between the daytime performance and the procession.

Time	Activity
Earlier in the day	Rehearsal and puppet familiarisation (exact time to be confirmed)
3.30 – 4.00 pm	Performance of Ancient Giants (approx. 30 minutes), likely outside the Willis Museum at the top of town
After the performance	Approx. 10-minute walk to the procession line-up point
5.30 pm	Procession line-up
6.00 – 6.45 pm	Procession — walkabout performance through Basingstoke town centre

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for confident, physically capable performers who enjoy working outdoors and engaging with the public. Essential requirements are:

• A background in acrobatics, circus, dance or puppetry.
• Good physical fitness and stamina – the puppets are large and physically demanding to operate, and the work is outdoors and on the move.
• Confidence performing to, and interacting with, family audiences and children.
• A reliable, positive team player who can take direction and work closely with others.
• Availability for the full day on Friday 23 October 2026, including the rehearsal.

Applicants based in Basingstoke or the wider Hampshire area are particularly welcome.

Fee

The fee is £200 for the day, inclusive of all expenses. This covers both the rehearsal and the performance. Puppeteers are engaged on a freelance basis and are responsible for their own tax and National Insurance.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV to jiten@inspirate.org by Sunday 4 October 2026. If you have a showreel, photos or links to previous outdoor or physical performance work, do feel free to include them, though this is not essential.

Equal Opportunities

Inspirate is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce, and we warmly welcome applications from artists of all backgrounds. Given the cultural roots of this work, we especially encourage applications from South Asian and global majority artists. As the work involves performing to family audiences, the successful applicants may be asked to complete a DBS check.