Julie, have you looked at the MAX festival OWS is having this year?

]http://www.onewaystreet.com/category/542?r=[EN0511]
Playsoup and a few others look to be having some advanced classes.

I so wish I could go!  But time/finance won't allow it. Maybe someday.

Yes, we've looked into MAX.  I'm sure it will be great.  Dave's classes are excellent, but we won't be attending as vendors this year, so attending for just the one class would not be feasible.  Most of the other classes seem to be for performers of which I am not. 

I see. It is rather expensive, traveling etc. just for one class.  It's expensive to me either way! LOL

I have never been and I would love to go. The only thing I have attended was a regional oneway street festival here in california back in november.

I-Fest is really great.  We love exhibiting there, but this year OWS is trying something new.  I'm sure it's going to be great as well.  You should try to go if you can. 

I am working on it... Hopefully it works out

Really interesting thread, thanks guys!
I went to PofF festival in 2007 and absolutely loved it but I got more from the atmosphere, meeting people, sense of cameradery and just being immersed in the whole puppet experience. I went on mostly puppet building workshops and did learn a lot about materials but it just wasn't long enough to learn all that I wanted to so they weren't really as advanced as I would like.

A few suggestions then, cos its even worse in the UK you know! Firstly, how about finding a puppet builder that you like and asking them for some private tuition? Nothing like being a little cheeky! Most puppet makers are really proud of their work and happy to show you round their workshop and even spend some hours teaching you. I've tried this in the UK and met some wonderful people that way, and it shouldn't cos you more than going to a festival.

Secondly how about going for something that's a little off track to what you would normally do. For example this weekend I'm doing a weekend workshop in architectural model making for film sets and weekend in June I'm doing a weekend workshop on puppet making for stop motion films. Both aren't exactly puppetry but the skills you gain from these things quite often come in really handy and overlap with puppet making and you never know who you might meet! Again with these things contacting the course tutor directly for extra private tuition often works and sometimes they're quite flattered by the attention and you get them to yourself!

Wyoh

Wyoh,
I love your idea of going out of the box and looking for classes that relate to puppetry. For example there may be a great sewing class at the local arts and craft shop. Kansas City actually has an art institute that has classes on a multitude of art mediums which would be a great source. A class in woodworking or sculpting could be translated to puppet making easily.

Those are some great ideas. I've met with a lot of problems trying to find workshops here in Oz, but I think some puppeteers might be more inclined to do one-on-ones (they tend to frown on 'internships' here, whereas your approach is slightly different)

I totally agree with taking courses in other areas too. Model making would be especially useful for getting professional-quality details; and stop motion makes you more able to create work where 'new media' (aka anything digital) is more popular/funded.

Great ideas.