This September, three renowned automata makers and a celebrated stop-motion filmmaker will come together at Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in Hastings to create a large-scale, mobile mechanical artwork inspired by the town’s coastal landscape, fishing heritage, and playful mythologies. Built from locally-sourced reclaimed materials, the piece will be designed to travel along the seafront and engage the public through movement, storytelling and humour.

Join Tom Haney, Fi Henshall, Joseph Wallace & Carlos Zapata in Hastings on the 19th September for the unveiling of the piece. Each artist will make a presentation about their work followed by a behind the scenes look at the project.

Artist Biographies

Fi Henshall – Automata Maker & Sculptor

Fi Henshall is a UK-based automata artist originally from Fishguard in Southwest Wales. With a background in sculpture, she began making automata in 2009 and has since developed a distinctive practice combining hand-carved wood, old tins, found objects and finely engineered brass and steel mechanisms. Fi’s work often evokes strange, dream-like narratives, blending humour, narrative depth and intricate mechanics that reward close attention. Her sculptures are characterised by their meticulous detail, imaginative storytelling, and a playful embrace of the unexpected. Driven by a fascination with the magic of movement, her pieces encourage viewers to linger in the moment of mechanical animation. Fi’s work has featured in national and international collections, and she regularly teaches workshops that introduce others to the joy of kinetic making.

Carlos Zapata – Automata Maker & Sculptor

Carlos Zapata is a Colombian-born artist who has lived and worked in the UK since the mid-1980s. He began making automata in the late 1990s after being inspired by Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, and has since become internationally recognised for his carved mechanical sculptures. Carlos’s work is deeply rooted in his personal and cultural experience, drawing on folk and tribal art influences from South America, Asia and Africa, and often reflecting on themes of social conflict, identity and empathy. His pieces are vibrant, sculptural and emotionally resonant, balancing playfulness with evocative symbolism and craftsmanship. Carlos’s work has been shown in galleries, collections and museums worldwide, and he continues to explore new forms of narrative through kinetic art. 

Tom Haney – Automata Maker & Kinetic Artist

Tom Haney is an American automata artist whose work celebrates handcrafted mechanical movement and narrative sculpture. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Tom’s fascination with mechanisms began in childhood and was later deepened through formal study in Industrial Design. Before committing to full-time art in 2000, he designed props, models and miniatures for television, film and photography, gaining valuable experience in three-dimensional storytelling.

Tom makes kinetic sculptures and figurative automata combining finely crafted mechanisms with found materials and traditional techniques. His work explores the magic of movement and invites viewers to project personal narratives onto each piece. Ethically inclined toward materials with history and character, Tom’s sculptures are both technically inventive and emotionally engaging.

Joseph Wallace – Animation & Puppet Filmmaker

Joseph Wallace is a British stop-motion and puppetry director, writer and producer based in the UK whose work spans short films, music videos, commercials and feature film sequences. Described by the London International Animation Festival as “one of the UK’s most extraordinary stop-motion directors,” his work is celebrated for its cinematic quality, unique aesthetic and imaginative use of tactile animation.

With more than a dozen short films to his credit since 2007, Joseph’s work has screened at festivals worldwide and earned multiple accolades. In addition to award-winning shorts, he created stop-motion sequences for Edgar Wright’s documentary The Sparks Brothers and the acclaimed animated film Salvation Has No Name, executive produced by Maisie Williams. He is a BAFTA Cymru nominee and has served as a juror and workshop leader at major animation events, having been recognised for his contributions to the field of puppet and stop-motion storytelling.

When is it?

Date: Saturday 19th September 2026
Time: 2pm-6pm

Cost: £12/£18/£27
Please choose the ticket price that best reflects your circumstances. We simply ask you to be honest, as this helps us keep our events accessible and sustainable for the future.

Where is it?
The event will be hosted in The Printworks, a lovely venue opposite CMT’s Mechanical Making Space. CMT will be open before and after the presentations with a number of automata from our collection on display for you to enjoy.

Located in Gotham Alley off Claremont, in the historic area of Hastings called Trinity Triangle or The America ground.

Hastings Train Station is a 7 minute walk from the venue. There are car parks nearby. The closest is Priory Street Multi Storey hastings.gov.uk/parking/carparks/

Address: The Printworks, 14 Claremont, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1HA

Entrance in Gotham Alley, opposite Cabaret Mechanical Theatre
What3Words location: ///remark.grass.deaf

Accessibility
The front door is at street level with no steps.
There are gender neutral toilets and accessible toilets on site.
If you have any further access requirements please let us know so we can make sure we meet your needs.

Cancellations & Refunds

If you have to cancel your booking please contact us as soon as possible.

• For cancellations made more than eight weeks before the start of the event, tickets will be refunded minus a £10 cancellation charge
• No refunds can be made if you cancel within eight weeks of the start date or fail to attend.

Cancellation by CMT

In the unfortunate event that we cancel the event you will receive a full refund. We will not be liable for any travel or accommodation bookings that may have been made.