Puppets as engineers of the imagination: using performing objects to communicate innovative enzyme science

Puppetry has been utilised as an effective mechanism to facilitate conversation and communicate complex topics across a variety of disciplines. To provoke discussions, our project aimed to utilise puppets as an effective and entertaining ‘bridge’ to increase the confidence of young people, enabling them to question and explore scientific endeavours, and to increase the confidence of engineers to communicate their work with young people. This proof-of-concept was anchored in the research of the Centre for Enzyme Innovation at the University of Portsmouth, UK, which focuses on developing low-carbon biotechnological solutions for recycling problem plastic waste in a circular economy. The science was effectively interpreted and discussed through co-designed puppetry workshops between engineers from the University of Portsmouth and young people from the community through engagement with community partners Artswork, The Makers Guild, the company Making Theatre Gaining Skills in Bognor Regis and secondary school students at the Admiral Lord Nelson School in Portsmouth. Through this approach, we demonstrated that 86 per cent of the young people gained a deeper understanding about what engineers do, and 79 per cent about how engineering improves our lives. The majority of engineers felt more confident and motivated in utilising arts-based techniques in their engagement practice following the project. Through this work, we demonstrated that puppetry can be used to bridge the gap between scientists/engineers and underserved communities, although this can be limited by the power dynamics that currently exist in society.