Jan Zalud bio

I see myself primarily as a wood-carver, and this skill takes me in a number of different directions. My interest in carving started when I decided to make some small puppets as Christmas presents. These early puppets utilised driftwood and branches complete with bark. They had a primitive and slightly wild feel. I felt very encouraged in my new direction when I received a grant from Northern Arts, as well as some opportunities to exhibit. During the early 90s I got involved with the renowned ‘Little Angel Theatre’ in London, and became their resident carver, making puppets, as well as props for a number of productions – most notably (now as a freelance) I was involved in Little Angel’s co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s productions of ‘Venus and Adonis’ and ‘The Tempest’. Since then I have been involved with many more theatre companies and productions.