Shizuka Kai

Shizuka is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist whose expertise spans puppetry, set design, illustration, and jewelry making. Her practice draws on her background in acting and design to create narrative, performance-oriented puppetry and theatre pieces that are both visually rich and thoughtfully crafted. She emphasizes collaboration, craftsmanship, and accessibility in her work, striving to make puppet theatre engaging for audiences of all ages.

Her theatrical portfolio includes collaborations with Arts Club, Theatre Replacement, Théâtre la Seizième, Carousel Theatre for Young People, Rumble, Neworld, and Boca del Lupo. Recent credits include set design for East Van Panto: West Van Story (Theatre Replacement) and Stuart Little (CTYP). A Studio 58 graduate, she has earned eight Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, an Ovation Award, the Earl Klein Memorial Scholarship, and the Steven B Jung Award.

Shiz currently serves as Set Design Instructor and Production Program Coordinator at Studio 58, produces puppet slams throughout the year with the Vancouver International Puppet Festival, and parents her incredibly imaginative three-year-old daughter. Her creative practice bridges performance, visual arts, and craftsmanship—driven by storytelling that appeals broadly, from children’s festivals to professional theatre stages.