Meet the Team: Nenagh Watson
Puppetry Pioneer & Advocate for the Future of UK Puppetry
Nenagh Watson’s love affair with puppetry began at the tender age of three, when she was gifted a child’s glove puppet from the legendary puppeteer Waldo Lanchester’s shop in Stratford-upon-Avon. That moment ignited a lifelong passion that would become her career. After earning a BA Hons in Combined Studies (Sculpture & Theatre) in 1984, her graduation piece, Toe Nailed To The Floor, garnered recognition at several European International Puppet Festivals.
Throughout her career, Nenagh has been at the forefront of puppetry innovation. Early on, she sought inspiration and met Margareta Niculescu director of the Institut International de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mézières, subsequently training with Philippe Genty and the extraordinary director Tadeusz Kantor. In 1989, Nenagh co-founded doo- cot, a ground-breaking Manchester puppet company with painter Rachael Field that was ahead of its time, reflecting their personal experiences as lesbians in a politically charged environment. Their work, ‘radical both in form and content’, earned them substantial ACE funding and led to British Council tours, cementing their place in UK puppetry history.
Though doo-cot ceased trading in 2007, Nenagh’s work continued to evolve. She received a bursary administered by The Puppet Centre Trust to explore Punch & Judy through a feminist lens, and later earned a coveted AHRC Creative Research Fellowship at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, where she further explored the legacy of Joe Beeby’s Punch & Judy puppets. Her concept of ‘Ephemeral Animation’, which critiques the animation of debris by the elements, gained significant academic attention.
In 2014, Nenagh exhibited ‘Dead Puppet’, an exploration of the display of archival puppets and a subtle queer critique of British puppet icons. She was also an RCSSD Affiliated Research Fellow and served twice as sabbatical cover for Cariad Astles at Royal Central School of Speech & Drama.
In 2019, Nenagh diversified her skill set training as an Activities Coordinator within Adult Social Care utilising the arts with residents living with dementia. She was a guest artist contributing to SouthBank’s lockdown project ArtByPost.
Recently Nenagh has become a member of Modern Painters & Decorators an artist group in Loughborough where she is working with her extensive archive and continues to create puppets “for the sheer hell and joy of doing”
She is also part of a collaborative project between UK and Taiwan ‘Interwoven Time’ which focuses on creativity and care curated by East Midlands artist Jacqui Gallon.
A long-standing member of BrUNIMA but a recent committee member, Nenagh is a vital bridge between BrUNIMA and Puppeteers UK (PUK), keeping both organizations up to date with each other’s developments. With decades of lived experience in the puppetry sector, she’s passionate about advocating for the next generation of puppeteers, encouraging them to express their unique visions and ensuring that the work of UK puppetry receives the financial support and recognition it deserves.
Most Memorable BrUNIMA Moment: Nenagh has long been inspired by UNIMA’s ethos of international solidarity and dialogue, personally encountering their courageous commitment to keep dialogue alive between East and West during the cold war years. These ideals born from the ashes of two World Wars, are still deeply relevant today.
Why Get Involved with BrUNIMA? As Nenagh says, “You have to be in it to win it!” The next generation of puppeteers must take on the challenges, harness the benefits, and continue the work of advocating for puppetry’s sustainability in the UK. BrUNIMA offers a supportive, open community for puppeteers to connect, collaborate, and make their voices heard.
Tip of the Trade:
Nenagh’s key advice: “Know your worth, be generous, and open doors for others. If you have ‘nothing’ you have ‘nothing’ to lose but paradoxically have everything to gain. Use that as your rocket fuel and really go for it!”
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