String Bean Puppets - Anna Bailey
Anna Bailey is a puppeteer with a passion for the unique flora and fauna of Aotearoa. Her shows are fun, engaging and emotionally resonant. She seeks to create empathy for endangered species through her work, while also entertaining, educating, and sparking discussions about important environmental issues.
She regularly performs in schools, kindergartens, museums and libraries around the greater Wellington area. She also performs at Zealandia and Ngā Manu and is currently working with Enviro schools in Porirua and Kāpiti.
Anna started her journey as puppeteer as an Au Pair for a puppeteering family in Italy and also was an intern at Bread and Puppet before returning to New Zealand and creating String Bean Puppets in 2011.
Starting as a street performer she has now performed her shows in kindergartens, schools, museums, libraries and festivals around New Zealand and internationally. She loves the way puppets can connect and communicate with audiences, without the need for words and has toured her shows at festivals in 13 different countries.
Photo credit: Sophie Helm//TAHI Festival 2023