Image: Claude Creighton, photograph Lana Adams
We sat down with Catapult + Adelaide Fringe Mentorship recipient Claude Creighton to learn more about their experience and hear their top picks for the Festival!
What about the Catapult Mentorship interested you to apply?
The Catapult Mentorship immediately stood out because it offered support and access to mentorships that simply aren’t otherwise available particularly within the puppetry sector, which is very limited in South Australia. As someone deeply invested in large-scale and experimental puppetry, the opportunity to connect with experienced practitioners and expand my practice felt incredibly rare and valuable.
What things did you find you got the most out of the experience?
The most valuable aspect was the industry insight and connections. It shifted the way I think about making, not just technically, but conceptually. It expanded my understanding of how puppetry can operate across performance, film and broader media contexts in Australia. The skills and conversations genuinely changed my making trajectory.
What was the most surprising experience you had?
How generous the sector is. Meeting people who were open about process, challenges and possibilities was incredibly energising. It made the field feel bigger and more interconnected than I’d previously realised.
What would you recommend for someone who was thinking of applying?
Absolutely apply. It’s a rare and genuinely valuable opportunity especially if you’re working in a niche or emerging area. Even the process of articulating your practice is worthwhile.
What are your top picks for Adelaide Fringe 2026 in Visual Arts?
I’m really excited about the Waste to Wonder Exhibition; it feels especially integral right now. Work made from discarded materials isn’t just aesthetic, it’s urgent. In a time of climate crisis and overconsumption, transforming waste into meaning feels politically and socially necessary.
I’m also looking forward to the large-scale puppet created with the Australian Migrant Resource Centre. Community-built puppetry in public space carries real power
Outside of strictly “visual arts,” I’m keen to see Blushing by Zen Zen Zo theatre. Their physically driven, body-focused performance work sits beautifully alongside installation and object-based practices; it reminds us that the body itself is a sculptural, expressive material.
And then there’s the fringe-adjacent ecosystem TRYP, an experimental music event with heaps of local talent, or swinging by artist-run spaces Sharehouse or Smoking Fish for a coffee and local art, which always feels like where the cross-pollination really happens.
About the Catapult + Adelaide Fringe Mentorship
Established in 2024, the Catapult + Adelaide Fringe Mentorship aims to showcase visual artists, craft practitioners and designers to a broader audience. Catapult + Adelaide Fringe is presented in collaboration with Guildhouse and the Adelaide Fringe Foundation – Arts Unlimited.
The mentorship provides a 6-month funded opportunity for a South Australian visual artist, craft practitioner or designer. Guildhouse Catapult mentorship programs provide creative professionals with essential funding and support to develop their artistic practice through a meaningful mentorship. This opportunity aims to enrich the artist’s professional and creative development through dedicated time spent with their chosen mentor.
