Giant Puppets Save the World

Imagine being at a conference or festival and seeing a large giant flying butterfly or silk bird float above your head. Imagine being a five year old and running with a group of your friends while holding the wings of a giant hummingbird through a field or public park. Imagine being in the audience of a musical performance and seeing a gorgeous dancer on stage moving gracefully with a giant puppet. Imagine a group of stilt walkers coming through the crowd all holding giant puppets made by a local Bay Area artist. Now, imagine that you are a part of the magic! Co-creating in a parade of fifty people marching through a major event inspiring such joy.

Giant Puppets Save the World brings educational entertainment, skill development and community building into a nexus of bustling creativity. From corporate team building events creating large works of art together or engaging in a parade with our live band, giant puppet installations and arts and crafts engagement, or large scale assemblies featuring live music, stilt walkers and giant puppets weaving narrative stories, or simply facepainting fun and hand puppet shows at your next preschool picnic, we create magical memories for those once-in-a-lifetime moments of epic joy!

Giant Puppets Save the World is led by artist, Toni “Tone” Mikulka. She has spent the last ten years of her life making art for live performance. Her art skills include: giant puppets, painting enormous silk backdrops and flags, stilt walking, doing puppet shows for kids, singing and performing in various productions around the world, including San Leandro Cherry Festival, San Francisco Sunday Streets, Bread and Puppet Theater, Bioneers, High Sierra Music Festival, Oregon Country Fair, Symbiosis Festival, and many corporate events and conferences with Google, Meta, Genentech, Nike, Daybreaker, and more!

She makes her giant puppets, props, and handpainted silk flaps, using silk, bamboo, reed, papier mache, and recylced materials with nontoxic processes. Multi-puppeteer puppets encourage teamwork, collaboration, and communication. A symbolic virtue of how Giant Puppets Save the World, by encouraging us to work together to create something greater than ourselves.

When not in use, the puppets are beautiful free standing pieces and can be positioned in a variety of ways as display or decor. Toni also creates custom dyed fabrics and backdrops or wedding photobooths or events, as well as table centerpieces, sculptural works, and community art projects for engaging experiences at ceremonial and celebratory events.

Inquire for a special booking discount for first time clients!

The puppets range in size from 5' wide and 5' tall to 12' tall, 3' wide and 8' long. It is best to have a stage area free and clear of mic stands and drum kits before they go on for a more exaggerated theatrical performance. However, they work just as well in tight quarters. We have been on stage with several large acts, including Elephant Revival and the String Cheese Incident.

The look excellent when lit up, and many of them have an option for evening lighting. They are largely silent and need no amplification.