In the late 1950s the Guild revived its tradition of summer schools, building on the success of similar events held in the mid‑1930s and inspired by those run by the London County Council. The first of eleven annual weekend schools, organised by Tom Howard, took place in Surrey in June 1958. Friday evenings were devoted to socialising and puppet films, while Saturdays offered a full programme of workshops covering stage lighting, shadow puppets, marionettes and glove puppets. Sunday mornings focused on rod puppets and model theatre. These weekend schools continued for a decade and became an important training and networking space for puppeteers.
After a break, the weekend schools were revived in 1973 by Guild Secretary Gordon Shapley, beginning with an event in Ipswich. They continued on a biennial basis for many years. In 1979 Douglas Hayward took over their organisation, hosting them at his Hayward Marionette Theatre in Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire. The final traditional weekend school was held at the Harlequin Puppet Theatre in Rhos‑on‑Sea, North Wales, on 5 October 2001. Its theme, Exploring the Marionette, brought together workshops on jointing, head construction, painting, performance, costuming and manipulation—reflecting the breadth of skills the Guild had championed for decades.
