Czech Festival Visitor Program Opportunity: November 6-9, 2025

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Czech Festival Visitor Program Opportunity: November 6-9, 2025

Dramaturges, artistic directors, theatre educators and facilitators and other performing arts professionals are invited to take part in the Hi PerformanCZ: Visitors’ Programme of Puppet Productions. The programme will take place on November 6 – 9, 2025 in Prague in cooperation with the One Flew over the Pupeteer’s Nest festival organised by the Czech UNIMA Centre and Loutkář/Puppeteer Magazine.

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Upcoming Zoom sessions with the Center for Puppetry Arts!

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July 22 @ 7pm

https://puppet.org/programs/life-legacy-of-richard-hunt/

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Richard Hunt
Virtual Panel Discussion

Presented by Jessica Max Stein, author of Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography, with Rob Mills (Junior Gorg from Fraggle Rock and Ludo from Labyrinth), Gord Robertson (Pa Gorg from Fraggle Rock and Falkor from The Neverending Story III), and Lawrence Mirkin (Producer, Fraggle Rock and The Jim Henson Hour)

Celebrate the life and legacy of Richard Hunt, the renowned Muppeteer known for performances as Scooter, Janice, Statler, Beaker, and many more. Join us for a virtual discussion honoring the joyful life and creative legacy of beloved puppeteer Richard Hunt. This special event will feature Jessica Max Stein, author of Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography (Rutgers University Press, 2024), in conversation with Rob Mills and Gord Robertson, performers from Fraggle Rock, and Lawrence Mirkin, producer of the series.

Known for his friendly disposition and infectious humor, Hunt was a cherished member of the Henson team and a key contributor to the spirit of “Affectionate Anarchy” that defined the Muppets. The evening will include a reading of select excerpts from Stein’s biography, followed by a lively conversation reflecting on Hunt’s work, personality, and enduring impact.

 

July 27th @ 5pm

https://puppet.org/programs/bts-with-shadow-girls-cult/

Behind the Scenes with Shadow Girls Cult
Virtual Behind the Scenes
Presented by Shadow Girls Cult of Seattle, WA

Known for their surreal, hand-crafted visuals and experimental storytelling, performance troupe Shadow Girls Cult has developed a unique technique that fuses vintage overhead projectors, layered paper cutouts, live puppetry, and analog film effects to create haunting, dreamlike shadowscapes in real time.

This live-streamed event offers a rare demonstration of these signature techniques, providing participants with insight into how the collective blurs the line between live theater and animation. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the group’s creative process, artistic influences, and the making of UNRAVELING, as well as get a first look at their setup in advance of the performances from August 13 to 17.

CALL FOR SUBMISSION OF ARTICLES FOR THE MÓIN-MÓIN JOURNAL, Ed. 32: The Stage of Celebration - Puppet Theatre, Ritual, Festivity, and Community

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UNIMA Brazil invites you to share your research and reflections on the rich and multifaceted relationship between puppet theatre (in its various forms: puppet theatre, object theatre, mask theatre, and shadow theatre) and its profound connections with rituals, festivities, and community dynamics.

Your work may explore, but is not limited to:

  • The historical and anthropological roots of puppet theatre in ritual and festive contexts.

  • The presence and significance of puppets, objects, masks, and shadows in ceremonies, celebrations, and cultural traditions.

  • The role of puppet theatre as a tool for expressing community identity and strengthening social bonds.

  • Case studies investigating the function of puppet theatre in contemporary festivals and popular manifestations.

  • Analyses on the use of puppet theatre in educational, therapeutic, and social intervention projects within the community.

  • Theoretical and methodological perspectives for the analysis of the interaction between puppet theatre and ritual and community contexts.

  • Reflections on the evolution and new possibilities of puppet theatre in dialogue with the demands and expressions of contemporary communities.

  • The representations of ethnic-racial identities in puppet theatre in ritual and festive contexts.

  • The role of puppet theatre in the preservation, celebration, and transmission of cultures and knowledge.

  • Case studies investigating the function of puppet theatre in festivals, rituals, and celebrations.

  • Reflections on research methodologies and ethical approaches in the study of the relationships between puppet theatre, rituals, and festivities.

  • Puppet theatre as a ritual and community expression in the northeast and north of Brazil: popular tradition and cultural resistance.

We encourage the submission of original articles, translations, interviews, and unpublished reports that deepen the knowledge about this fascinating intersection between art, culture, and society.

We look forward to your contributions to illuminate the stage of celebration and its intrinsic links with puppet theatre and community life. The submission guidelines and our article template can be found on the "author guidelines" page.

Submission Guidelines: https://www.revistas.udesc.br/index.php/moin/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

Submission Deadline: September 30, 2025

Join Fishing Fresh online as part of the 24th UNIMA Congress!

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The 24th UNIMA Congress in Chuncheon South Korea has begun! Check out photos from the festivities on UNIMA and UNIMA-USA's social media pages all week! While registration for the congress has closed, you can still take part in the Youth Commission's online idea sharing session - Fishing Fresh on May 28th, 8am ET. See below for more information:

The Unima Youth Commission invites you to join us for the Fishing for Fresh Ideas online session on May 28th at 9pm Korean Time/2pm Central European Time/8am Eastern Standard Time. Please use your world clock to find your local time zone. This session offers the opportunity for UNIMA members to share new projects, artistic achievements and seek international collaborations. Come support the thriving of the global field of puppetry! 

Register before May 26th: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/skWpjczuTOG995dGIk882A 

 

unima.org | instagram | facebook 

Open Call for the 16th Edition of the INternational Theater Festival for Children and Youth in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

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The Teatro CÚCARA-MÁCARA Foundation, Inc., is honored to invite you to the celebration of the 16th edition of the International Theater Festival for Children and Youth (FITIJ-RD), an event that, over the years, has established itself as one of the most important and highly anticipated in the Dominican Republic, as well as throughout the Caribbean and Central America. This festival, which pays tribute to over four decades of history of the Teatro CÚCARA-MÁCARA Foundation —an institution with 44 years of experience on stage— continues to be a pillar in the cultural development of the community through a program that promotes the tradition of theater as a tool for personal growth, cultural exchange, wholesome entertainment, and the dissemination of knowledge. With this new edition, we invite professional theater groups and companies specializing in performances for children, youth, and family audiences to submit their proposals to be part of this very special festival, which will take place at the main theaters of the city of Santo Domingo, D.N., from November 4 to 16, 2025. This event promises to remain a key platform for enjoyment, reflection, and the development of creativity through the art of theater.

Terms and guidelines of the FITIJ-RD 2025 Call in PDF format: ACCESS HERE→ We ask companies to review them carefully, as by completing the registration form, they agree to the terms set forth in the document.

Announcing the newest podcast from UNIMA Puppeteers Trust - India

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UNIMA Puppeteers Trust - India is pleased to invite you to the ninth session of ANUBHAV, a signature podcast series presented by UNIMA Puppeteers Trust India, showcasing diverse voices from the world of puppetry.

 Anubhav #9 features Dr. Gouranga Charan Dash, a renowned researcher, pedagogue, and veteran puppeteer, celebrated for his lifelong contribution to the Raavan Chhaya shadow puppetry tradition of Odisha.

Join us for this special session to explore the history, philosophy, and nuances of this unique art form through the lens of a true master.

 Date: Sunday, 18th May 2025
 Time: 3:00 PM IST
 Venue: Online via Zoom (registration required)

 Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tP46ea1hT9qso5DbwDbanw


Team UNIMA Puppeteers Trust India
https://www.unimapuppeteerstrust.in/
Email: puppeteerstrust@gmail.com

UNIMA-USA is proud to launch the WINTER 2025 issue of Puppetry International Research!

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Song of the North. The shadow figures of war are cast on the screen. (Photo: Richard Termine)

Free, available to all, full of new thoughts and insights, Puppetry International Research, an open access scholarly journal, is another step in UNIMA-USA's goal to promote, educate, and support growth in the art of puppetry as well as to provide resources to people who find puppetry important to their lives.

Volume 2, No. 1 features a Focus Section on Puppets and War: Contemporary Perspectives from Ukraine, guest edited by Matt Smith and Nataliia Borodina, with contributions from Smith, Borodina, Tamara Rozova, Tetyana Ovcharenko, Tetiana Zinovieva, and Sofiia Rosa-Laverentii, providing first-hand views and analysis of the work of puppeteers in the context of war. Salma Mohseni Ardehali analyzes performing objects in Iranian Muharram processions; Deniz Başar investigates the exclusion of women in Karagöz puppetry in Turkey and their paths into the art. Seiko Shimura and Robin Ruizendaal report on their workshop, developed across Taiwan and Japan, using shadow puppetry to connect Japanese students to bunraku. Rahul Koonathara informs readers about the Wonderland Puppets Symposium at the University of Connecticut and the Wayang, Ecology and the Sacred Symposium at Yale. Fedelis Kyalo gives a comprehensive account of UNIMA Africa Commission’s workshops and Pro-Vocation: Roots and Wings conference. Reviews include Keith Byron Kirk on Paulette Richards’ Object Performance in the Black Atlantic: The United States, Lawrence Switzky on Claudia Orenstein’s Reading the Puppet Stage: Reflections on the Dramaturgy of Performing Objects, Cheyenne Bryant on Nehprii Amenii’s Human, and Marzieh Ashrafian on Hamid Rahmanian’s Song of the North.

Puppetry International Research (PIR) is a global, interdisciplinary, academic journal dedicated to puppetry and the allied areas of masks, performing objects, and material performance. Its mission is to foster scholarship on puppet theatre and related arts as practiced in the past and present around the world and deepen historical and theoretical understanding of the field. Its empirical, analytical, and theoretical peer-reviewed articles, as well as critical book, performance, and exhibition reviews, and field reports aim to strengthen puppetry studies as an academic discipline. The journal welcomes submissions from scholars and reflective practitioners from all related disciplines. A project of UNIMA-USA, growing out of the peer-review section of its acclaimed magazine, Puppetry International, PIR publishes twice a year on the CUNY Academic Commons.

Call for Presentations - Fishing Fresh: Fishing for Fresh Ideas

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Fishing Fresh: Fishing for Fresh Ideas

Part of the 24th UNIMA Congress & Chuncheon Puppet Festival

Do you have a puppet project you can’t wait to share? Are you seeking ideas or collaborators? Do you have innovations or creative breakthroughs that need to be told?


We want to hear from you!

We’re calling for short 3-minute presentations from UNIMA members and Korean puppetry practitioners to share fresh ideas, unique practices, and inspiring stories from the world of puppetry.

Whether you’re an artist, educator, researcher, or part of a theatre group, this is your chance to contribute to a global exchange of creativity.

 

What can you present?

Your 3-minute talk could include:

 

  • A unique performance or puppetry technique (including a work in progress coming close to launch)

  • The use of new technologies (including AI)

  • A puppetry project with positive social impact

  • A social or educational puppetry initiative

 

Deadline to apply: May 9th

Date: May 29th 

 

Who can apply?

  • UNIMA members (individuals, institutional or independent theatre groups)

  • Korean theatre makers, researchers, and institutions – whether or not you are a UNIMA member

 

Language & Presentation Guidelines

Presentations can be given in English, French, Spanish or Korean.

 

Speakers will be asked to:

  • Provide a summary of their presentation in all three languages

  • Submit their presentation slides in advance

 

Format:

There will be both in-person and online sessions, so members worldwide can participate.

 

Why join?

  • Share your work and ideas with an international audience

  • Celebrate innovation and creativity in puppetry

  • Connect with fellow artists, thinkers, and makers

  • Get inspired and inspire others!

This session will be held in a relaxed, fun, and creative atmosphere — a space to celebrate fresh thinking in puppetry together.

Application form: https://forms.gle/wSSZsNQEuBZ9CdKt7

Contact: youth@unima.org

 

@24th UNIMA Congress - Chuncheon 2025

Secrétariat Général de l’UNIMA | 10, Cours Aristide Briand – BP 402 | 08107 Charleville-Mézières – France | +33 (0)3 24 32 85 63

Hand-Crafted Dragon Puppet Takes Flight in Forked Web Series Premiering at New York CineFest

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New York, NY — Puppet artistry plays a pivotal role in the new indie web series Forked, making its world premiere at New York CineFest (April 26th at 4:30pm ET) with a three-episode screening that includes a standout fantasy sequence featuring a custom-built dragon puppet, brought to life by two acclaimed artists in the puppetry world: designer/builder Chris Palmieri and puppeteer Nick Lehane.

The series, created by and starring Sarah Goeke and directed by Julia Sears, is an intimate and irreverent story about sobriety, shame, and self-discovery—told through the lens of a woman narrating fantasy erotica from her childhood bedroom. But in one surreal sequence, the story escapes the confines of that room and soars into full fantasy, thanks to the presence of a mesmerizing dragon puppet.

Palmieri, known for his work on Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, Field Station: Dinosaurs, and Snug’s House (NBCUniversal), designed and built the puppet specifically for the Forked sequence. With a career spanning high-profile theatrical productions, national tours, and commercial puppetry design, Palmieri crafted a creature that captures both whimsy and emotional weight.

“We wanted the dragon to feel grounded in the world of fantasy erotica but still emotionally connected to our main character’s inner journey,” said Palmieri. “It had to be sexy, but also sincere.”

To bring the creature to life, the team brought in Nick Lehane, a world-renowned puppeteer celebrated for his original solo puppet piece Chimpanzee, as well as his work with War Horse and Avenue Q. Lehane’s ability to imbue breath and emotion into all his characters made him the ideal performer to embody the symbolic, dreamlike episode in Forked.

“The dragon represents what is underneath the surface,” said director Julia Sears.  “She is enticing, playful, and a little over the top. Nick immediately brought Chris’s creation to life which actualized a magical moment of self acceptance in the series.”

The sequence exemplifies what Forked does best: blending grounded emotional storytelling with surprising, theatrical visuals. The dragon becomes a symbol of desire, escape, and fantasy—an embodiment of the show's central tension between repression and freedom.

Shot over six days in Pittsburgh with a 16-person crew, Forked exemplifies the artistry and inventiveness of independent filmmaking. While three episodes will screen at CineFest—including the fantasy dragon sequence—the full seven-episode season is currently beginning its film festival run.

For puppet enthusiasts, practical effects lovers, and fans of character-driven fantasy, this is a rare chance to see expert hand puppetry featured in a deeply human story.

🎬 World Premiere of Forked
📍 New York CineFest
🗓️ April 26, 2025 @ 4:30pm Block 17 - Shorts
🎟️ Tickets & Info: www.newyorkcinefest.com/tickets

📲 Follow @ForkedWebSeries on Instagram for release updates, festival news, and behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the series.

 

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