Alison Monaghan graduated with a 2:1 BA Honors Degree in Drama in 1990 and has worked in theatre ever since. Inspired by an abiding and passionate interest in puppetry and visual theatre Alison joined the Edinburgh Puppet Company (now Vision Mechanics) working as a performer, puppeteer, maker and designer and toured extensively throughout Britain and Ireland as well as Azerbaijan and Greece. Alison founded Yugen Puppet Company in 1997, with a mission to inspire greater interest in Scotland’s rich heritage of fairy and folk stories. Since then Alison has presented her work throughout Scotland, combining this with extensive free-lance work as a puppeteer, designer, builder and director and workshop leader. Companies include, Vision Mechanics, The Mac Robert Arts Centre, Leicester Haymarket Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland, Gerry Mulgrew, and Carnegi Hall, Dunfermline .