Charlotte Alles

My name is Charlotte, I´m a sculptor, puppeteer, theatre maker and director for various groups but especially young children.  When I was 17, I started my own theatre collective, 14VOLT. Together we made a few plays that had a filled-to-the-brim feel of punk.

Meanwhile I went to Brussels to study Sculpture and Fine Arts. After a few stints and graduation I went to work in the puppet theatre of my father. It took some getting used to, but I soon discovered that object theatre has a lot to offer to a sculptor. I could combine my own interest in theatre with my sculpting work. I became the company´s puppet creator, set designer and visual artist.

This has become the typical and ideal mix for me. When I've worked 100% in theatre, I long to go back to my garage to make new objects come to life. But when I´ve stayed for a while in that garage, the itch to get out and play something soon returns.

Apart from working on my own plays, I also work as a director for amateur theatre. It´s a fascinating job, because of all the different people that are involved, and certainly also to pass the theatre bug to others!  I also engage more directly with people from various backgrounds in artistic workshops. I often use objects and puppets in these workshops, but also drama, dance, visuals, … . I’ve worked in theatre settings, but also in other contexts like schools and youth centers, and in all of these I aspire to bring out the artistic mindset in the people I work with, whether they are 2.5 years old, adults, and regardless of their specific background.