Hello, I'm Jen Tran.

I've spent more than 15 years making things with and for people — sets, props, puppets, installations, performances, workshops and sometimes wonderfully strange things that don't fit neatly into a category.

My work has taken me from fabricating puppets for Bluey, to designing participatory theatre with Polyglot Theatre, collaborating on large-scale community arts projects, and creating workshops and creative programs with children and families across Melbourne.

What I love most is playing alongside kids and watching their confidence grow. Creativity gives children a chance to follow an idea, try something out, change their minds and discover what happens next. I want them to feel that their ideas are worth exploring — and to build the confidence to trust their own imagination.

That's where Making Day comes from.

It's a space for children to make with their hands, follow their curiosity and experience the joy of creating something themselves. My role as the artist isn't to tell them what something should look like, but to offer materials, encouragement and support, and help their ideas grow. There's a lot of “yes, and…” at Making Day.