Enjoy unlimited free admission to two of China’s most important cultural heritage sites:

• Langzhong Ancient City Scenic Area

• Tiangongyuan Scenic Area

No booking required. Simply show your membership and enter.

👤 Who Can Use This

All formally registered UNIMA members worldwide
with a valid digital membership card

🎟 How It Works

• Present your UNIMA digital membership card at the entrance

• Visit anytime during normal opening hours

• Return as often as you like — no limits

🤝 Why This Matters

Langzhong and UNIMA are connected through a shared dedication to puppetry arts.

The region is home to:

• Northern Sichuan Giant Puppet

• Wang’s Shadow Play

These traditions form part of China’s rich intangible cultural heritage, alongside the Spring Festival, recognised by UNESCO.

This benefit celebrates that connection and supports artistic exchange across the global UNIMA community.

📍 About Langzhong

A city of exceptional historical and cultural importance:

• One of China’s Four Great Ancient Cities

• 5A National Tourist Attraction

• Over 2,300 years of history

Highlights:

• 90+ preserved ancient streets

• 200+ Ming & Qing dynasty courtyards

• Historic landmarks from the Three Kingdoms era

“A city embraced by mountains and river — a living cultural landscape.”

📜 Official Recognition

This benefit is formally granted by the
Langzhong Ancient City Culture and Tourism Development authority,
with official seal and signature.

🌏 For UNIMA Members

Members are warmly encouraged to visit Langzhong for:

• Artistic research

• Cultural exchange

• Study visits and collaborations

🙏 With Thanks

UNIMA International extends its gratitude to:
Langzhong Ancient City Culture and Tourism Development
and UNIMA China
for this generous support of the global puppetry community.

ℹ️ Important

A valid UNIMA digital membership card is required for entry.
For membership queries, please contact the UNIMA Secretariat.

More info

Montréal to host key gathering for the future of UNIMA

UNIMA has officially announced that its 2027 Council and Extraordinary Congress will take place in Montréal, Canada, from 2–6 March 2027.

This upcoming Congress marks an important moment for the organisation. Alongside international exchange and discussion, members will be invited to review and vote on new Statutes and Rules of Procedure, shaping how UNIMA operates in the years ahead.

In a complex global context, this gathering represents a continued commitment to collaboration, dialogue, and the strengthening of our international puppetry community.

📅 Dates: 2–6 March 2027
📍 Location: Montréal, Canada
🗳 Focus: UNIMA Council & Extraordinary Congress

Members’ Access

The preliminary agenda for the Congress, along with additional context, is available to BrUNIMA members below.

This document is an early working version and may be subject to change as preparations continue.

Read more

Young People’s Puppet Theatre Co-Founder • Educator • Puppeteer
🌐 Website: www.yppt.org.uk
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youthpuppetsuk/
📘 Facebook: @YouthPuppetsUK

🎭 About Caitlin

Caitlin Duschenes is co-founder of the Young People’s Puppet Theatre (YPPT), an educational charity bringing large-scale marionette productions into schools across South East England. Rooted in a rich family legacy of puppetry, Caitlin’s work blends tradition, education, and collaboration—empowering thousands of young people to create and perform their own shows.

Her journey into puppetry isn’t just personal—it’s generational.

Beginning in 1920s Hamburg, Caitlin’s great-grandparents built a marionette theatre in their living room, performing for their local community. Despite being forced to leave Germany in the 1930s, the family’s connection to puppetry endured. Her grandfather Mario continued the tradition in Switzerland, staging Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale with marionettes in 1947.

That same production has echoed through the generations—revived multiple times by Caitlin’s father, Jeremy, and now forming a cornerstone of YPPT’s work today.

🧵 The Birth of YPPT

In the late 1990s, Jeremy Duschenes began running school-based puppet projects where children designed and built their own marionettes—an experience that left a lasting impact on students and teachers alike.

In 2014, inspired by the memory of those projects (and their unexpected social impact—including resolving classroom bullying), he revisited the idea on a larger scale.

Soon after, Caitlin joined him—and Young People’s Puppet Theatre was born.

Since 2015, YPPT has delivered:

• 🎭 155 productions

• 👧 5,000+ children engaged

• 🏫 Projects across schools throughout South East England

🎨 What Caitlin Creates

Caitlin has led around 50 YPPT projects, helping refine a unique model that balances creative freedom with scalable production.

Each project unfolds over the course of a year:

Puppet Making

Children design and build their own marionettes:

• Standardised wooden body structures ensure durability and movement

• Entirely child-designed heads, hands, feet, and costumes

• Every visible element is uniquely created by the student

🎨 Set Design

Students collaborate to create:

• Painted backdrop canvases

• Props

• Traditional “box-style” staging that allows large-scale participation

🎭 Performance

Each class becomes a full production team:

• Puppeteers

• Voice actors

• Stage crew

• Lighting & sound

• A student Stage Manager

The productions are impressively technical, with a custom-built sliding stage system allowing complex scene changes in seconds.

With professional-grade touring stages (designed by Brilliant Stages / Production Park), school halls are transformed into fully realised theatres—raising both the stakes and the students’ ambitions.

❤️ Why It Matters

For Caitlin, the most powerful moments happen backstage:

Watching children collaborate, grow in confidence, and exceed their own expectations—whether that’s a quiet student finding their voice or a struggling child learning teamwork.

The result?
Beaming faces, proud families, and transformative experiences that extend far beyond the stage.

🌟 Inspiration

Marionettes are at the heart of Caitlin’s practice:

“Marionettes all the way—it’s what I’ve grown up with.”

Their complexity—often a barrier in professional contexts—becomes a strength in YPPT’s large-scale, collaborative model.

Her enduring inspiration is The Soldier’s Tale, a production deeply woven into her family’s history and artistic identity.

Performed across generations (1947, 1968, 1974, 1980, 2014, 2025—and soon 2026), it continues to challenge and inspire with its intricate staging—including the remarkable feat of a violin being passed and “played” between puppets.

🎉 Fun Fact

Outside puppetry, Caitlin is an accomplished dancer:
💃 She competes in Ballroom and Latin
🏆 And has represented England at the World Latin Formation Championships

🎬 Favourite Performances

• 🎭 The Magic Flute — Salzburger Marionettentheater

• 🐾 My Neighbour Totoro (West End) — particularly its innovative use of scale on stage

✨ Three Words That Sum Up Caitlin’s Practice

Legacy. Inspiring. Future.

🤝 Why She Supports British UNIMA

As a new member, Caitlin values the connection UNIMA provides:

Puppetry is often misunderstood as niche or purely for children—but organisations like British UNIMA bring together practitioners who understand its depth, complexity, and cultural importance.

🌟 Inspired? Be featured next.

Our Spotlight Series appears on the British UNIMA website, social media, and is signposted through a newsletter read by 500–1,000+ people every month, with 224k views on social media in the last 30 days.

If you’re a paid British UNIMA Member, we’d love to highlight your work too.

View Spotlight Series

More info

We’re delighted to welcome Gabriela Céspedes and David Duffy for a live talk followed by an inside look at a working Lambe Lambe theatre workshop.

🗓DAY: Saturday 9 May 2026
🗓Time: 1:00 PM (talk begins)
🎭 Format: Talk + live workshop demonstration (in-person and live streamed event)
Location: PuppetSoup Canalside Studio, 243 Ealing Rd, London, Wembley HA0 1QL (5 min from Alperton Station on the Piccadilly line).
The event will also be live streamed online.
Tickets: Free event for BrUNIMA members only.

In person tickets are limited in numbers so to avoid disappointment book a place by emailing: info@puppetsoup.com

A link to the live stream of the talk will be available to BrUNIMA members in advance of the event. The live stream will be hosted via Zoom.

View the live stream via zoom on the day

For those who can’t make it, members of BrUNIMA can watch a recorded version of the talk via the website at a later date.

About the Event

This session opens with a conversation between two leading practitioners in puppetry and visual theatre, tracing their artistic journeys across continents, disciplines, and decades of practice.

Following the talk, we’ll move into a live feed from the workshop, where participants are developing their own Lambe Lambe theatre pieces under Gabriela’s guidance. The session will include:

• Demonstrations of miniature theatres and puppets

• Insights into creative processes and residencies

• A closer look at lighting design for small-scale performance

Gabriela Céspedes

Gabriela Céspedes is a multidisciplinary artist with over 35 years of experience as an actress, puppeteer, director, cultural manager, and educator. An international benchmark in Lambe Lambe Theatre, she has toured across the Americas and Europe with emblematic works such as Gato Negro and Bladimir.

She has directed and participated in Iberescena projects in Brazil and Paraguay, and coordinated the first Diploma in Puppet and Object Theatre (UNCAUS). Among her honors, the Javier Villafañe National Award for lifetime achievement stands out.

Currently, she leads the group Gabriela, clavo y canela, continuing her deep research into the language of animated forms.

The live session is part of PuppetSoup’s Canalside Puppet Making Workshop with Gaby as part of this course.

The Canalside Puppet Making Course London 2026

A unique Teatro Lambe Lambe puppetry Course in London.

In Partnership with The Puppet Theatre Barge and hosted both at our canalside puppet making workshops and on the iconic Barge itself!

Join us on a fascinating journey of puppetry exploration and learn how to build and perform a fully working Teatro Lambe Lambe from your own design!

More info and Book

David Duffy

David Duffy has worked in lighting since 1999 and in puppetry since 2007.

He was a core member and resident lighting designer at Little Angel Theatre for 10 years, and has collaborated with Theatre Peckham, Polka Theatre, and Stuff + Nonsense. He also served as a producer for the National Theatre’s production of Hamlet, and contributed to the award-winning puppetry venue Well Walk Theatre.

David is production manager for the Hvammstangi International Puppetry Festival in Iceland, where his site-specific collaboration with Kneehigh won the Jury Prize for Excellence. He is also lighting designer for Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s Famous Puppet Death Scenes, which has toured internationally.

He has delivered talks across the UK, Europe, and the Americas, and is currently writing a book for Routledge on lighting design for puppet theatre.

In 2025, he was awarded an Arts Council Developing Your Creative Practice grant to study Teatro de Lambe Lambe, culminating in a residency at La Nini, Gabriela Céspedes’ artists’ residency in the Andes.

We look forward to welcoming you into this intimate exploration of scale, storytelling, and the art of animating the small.

Puppet Maker • Designer • Performer • Workshop Leader
🌐 Website: https://www.izzybdesign.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izzlebee/

🎭 About Izzy

Izzy Bristow is a dynamic and imaginative puppet designer and maker whose work blends character design, technical craft, and expressive storytelling. She creates beautifully engineered puppets—often animals—for performance alongside human actors, drawing on a deep love for puppetry’s unique power.

Izzy describes puppets as existing in a delicate tension:

“Puppets are transformative things… With every movement they hover between life and death. If performed well, this balance creates a potent meta-drama.”

This philosophy underpins her artistic approach.

🧵 Training & Artistic Roots

Izzy’s path into puppetry brings together both costume design and technical theatre, with training that includes:

• MA in Puppetry — Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

• BFA in Technical Theatre — Western Oregon University

• Multiple theatre and costume internships across the United States

She built her first puppets at RWCMD in 2015 and has since developed a broad skillset through formal study and mentorship from professional puppet makers across the UK.

What Izzy Creates

Izzy specialises in animal puppets for theatre and film — sculptural, expressive, and designed for nuanced performance. Her work encompasses:

• Puppet design and fabrication

• Movement-led engineering for performers

• Teaching at universities

• Workshops for emerging makers

• Devised puppet films and live cabaret pieces

She regularly contributes to Puppet Place’s 48hr Puppet Film Challenge and the Scratch Cabaret.

🎬 Selected Credits

⭐ Puppet Designer – Bristol 48hr Puppet Film Challenge (2021)

• Trailer directed by: Cat Rock

• Produced by: Puppet Place & House of Funny Noises

• Primary Puppet Team: Izzy Bristow & Helena Houghton
  🎥 Watch the trailer:

⭐ Puppet Maker & Performer – Puppet Place events
⭐ Workshop Leader & Guest Lecturer – UK universities

🌟 Inspiration

Izzy draws particular inspiration from British puppet maker Marc Parrot:

“He has an intuitive sense of material and shape that he uses effectively with his offbeat storytelling to create compelling characters in condensed worlds.”

🎉 Fun Fact

Instead of a traditional wedding, Izzy and her partner staged a Kaiju Battle under Bristol Temple Meads.
Yes — a giant monster showdown.
Peak puppeteer energy.

✨ Three Words That Sum Up Izzy’s Practice

Character. Movement. Design.

🤝 Why She Supports British UNIMA

“British UNIMA links us together as puppet makers, performers and designers in a rapidly changing world. Together we can preserve and adapt this art form so it can speak just as loudly in the future as it does today.”

📸 Images & Credits

• Elephant and cat shadow puppet — Izzy Bristow

• Bat and Film Festival Crocodile — Cat Rock

⭐ Want to Work With Izzy?

Izzy is available for:
✔ Puppet design & fabrication
✔ Movement-focused construction
✔ Workshops & teaching
✔ Collaborative devised projects

👉 Contact via her website: izzybdesign.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izzlebee/

🌟 Inspired? Be featured next.

Our Spotlight Series appears on the British UNIMA website, social media, and is signposted through a newsletter read by 500–1,000+ people every month, with 224k views on social media in the last 30 days.

If you’re a paid British UNIMA Member, we’d love to highlight your work too.

More info

The Puppet Notebook Is Coming!

We’re delighted to announce that the long-awaited issue of The Puppet Notebook will be landing soon!

This publication is at the heart of BrUNIMA — celebrating the artistry, research, and imagination of puppeteers across the UK and beyond.

Every paid BrUNIMA member receives The Puppet Notebook as part of their membership.

Traditionally, that means a beautiful printed copy posted to your door. But as printing and postage costs rise — and as we look for more sustainable ways to work — we’re inviting members to make a small choice that can make a big difference.

🌱 Choose Digital — Support the Planet & the Puppetry Community

This year, we’re offering members the option to receive a digital copy instead of a printed one.
It’s still your Notebook — the same inspiring content, beautifully designed and easy to read online — but without the environmental footprint of printing and postage.

Every member who chooses the digital version helps us:
🌍 Reduce paper waste and carbon emissions
💰 Save funds that can go towards artist bursaries and the Penny Francis Memorial Award
💡 Invest in new projects, talks, and resources for our puppetry community

You’ll still have full access to the Notebook through the BrUNIMA Members’ Portal, where it will be available to view and download.

Read more

With heartfelt thanks to director Mark Crane, who has graciously granted British UNIMA the honour of presenting a special preview screening of his new film:

The Tragicall Historie of Ophelia Eve: The Dominion of Fancy.

“What world permits such scoundrels and fawning fools to hold dominion o’er us?”
— Ophelia Eve

🎬 Watch the Special Screening Here

🕗 Click on the film image below which will be available to play from 8:00 PM BST on Thursday, 23 October 2025.
The screening window will remain open for 4 hours (until midnight BST).Please make sure to join us live or within the screening window

Please note the Screening has ended.
Thank you for watching

💬 Join the Conversation

Mark will be available on Instagram from 8:00–9:00 PM BST during the screening, and happy to answer questions if you wish to send a Direct Message.

He also welcomes any thoughts or questions after the event — your reflections mean a great deal. 👉 Leave Feedback Here

📸 Follow @dominionoffancy

📝 Mark would love to hear your feedback!
Please share your reviews or thoughts via the form below — your comments may help shape future discussions and projects.
👉 Leave Feedback Here

💻 Having Trouble Viewing the Film?

If you’re having any issues watching via your email link, please visit the BrUNIMA website directly and make sure you’re logged in with the same email address you used for your BrUNIMA membership — the one that received this invitation.

Viewing Notice

This is a private members-only screening, shared exclusively with BrUNIMA members and invited guests.
Please do not share, record, or redistribute the screening link.
Viewing access is available for a limited time only (8:00 PM–midnight BST, Thursday 23 October 2025).

About The Tragicall Historie of Ophelia Eve

A cinematic journey through object, shadow, and traditional puppetry,
this short film reveals a dark alternate world of absurd control and creative rebellion.

From Mark Crane (writer/director) and Lyndie Wright MBE (puppet designer — Cyrano, Atonement), and featuring Ronnie Le Drew (Labyrinth, Muppet Christmas Carol), the film is both an artistic experiment and a political whisper behind the curtain.

🎭 The Playing Company

Mark Crane – Writer & Director
Marta Carvalho – Ophelia Eve
Ronnie Le Drew – Lead Puppeteer (The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth)
Ell Kendall – Composer
Alexandra Tanase – Director of Photography
Julia Frey – Executive Producer
Josh Frew Carter – Set & Prop Construction
Jasmine Amanda – Sound Recordist
Prof. David Wilde – Punch & Judy Performer
Lyndie Wright MBE – Puppet Designer (Atonement, Cyrano, Anna Karenina)
Nasya Mogyorossy – Production Manager
Bartolomeo Bartolini, Mima Beauchamp, Chris Kendall and Hugh Purves – Puppeteers
Sol Invictus – The Sun God
Punch – Himself

“May the hand never be seen.”

© 2025 Mark Crane. All rights reserved.
This exclusive BrUNIMA members’ screening is provided for private viewing only.
No recording, copying, or distribution permitted. Viewing link active for 4 hours only.

Give a gift subscription

From our friends at PuppetPlace.

An event where participants have only 48h to create an original puppet film. Today we are screening all of our 2025 entries.

Your opinion matters in our Audience Choice award, which will open at the end of the stream, follow the link to vote for you favourite film!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA... If you like the event then please consider donating to the PP48, we want to keep this a fee free event, and with you help we can reach and champion even more puppet people. add £0.48 to your donation so we know its for the PP48!

https://bristol48hpuppetfilmchallenge...

We’re excited to launch the British UNIMA Spotlight Series in January 2026: a new opportunity to highlight the skilled makers, performers, designers, researchers, and creative practitioners within the UK puppetry community.

Each Spotlight will be featured on our website and shared across our social media channels, with a monthly signpost in our newsletter to help audiences discover the full archive.

Why take part?

Our platforms are reaching more people than ever:

• 📬 Our monthly newsletter is read by over 500 people, with some editions reaching more than 1,000 views.

• 📱 Our social media channels received 224,000 views in the last 30 days.

This is a fantastic opportunity to share your work with an engaged and growing audience.

Who can apply?

The Spotlight Series is open to all paid British UNIMA Members.
Not yet a member? You’re welcome to join and take part.

How to apply

Complete our short Spotlight Form (linked below) and share anything that represents your work — images, stories, news, links, or current projects.
You’re welcome to include additional material beyond the form questions.

📝 Apply by 5 February 2026 to be considered for our first round of Spotlights.
Submissions will remain open throughout the year.

Link to Spotlight Form (see below)
Become a Member

Become a Member

We look forward to celebrating the breadth and creativity of our British UNIMA community.

✨ How it works

• We’ve created a short set of questions to guide your spotlight, but please feel free to share anything extra you’d like — stories, photos, links to your website or socials.

• All spotlights will be sent back to you to proof before we publish.

• This feature is open to all paid British UNIMA members.
  

  View Spotlight Series

Read more

From our wonderful friends at UNIMA Australia & UNIMA Aotearoa NZ comes this special opportunity for BrUNIMA members! 🎭

Wake up early and join an inspiring international panel exploring Puppetry for Film, TV & Live Performance.

About the Event

This live online discussion brings together three outstanding puppetry artists whose work spans the world of stage and screen. From Netflix’s Sweet Tooth and M3GAN, to War Horse, Cirque du Soleil, and even Coldplay concerts — these artists have done it all.

They’ll share:

• Behind-the-scenes stories from iconic productions

• What it’s really like working in film, TV & theatre

• Tips for breaking into the industry

• Skills and insights that every puppeteer, maker, or performer can learn from

Facilitated by Larissa Deak (AUS), the newly appointed President of UNIMA Australia.

Meet the Panel

• Kailah Cabanas (AUS) – War Horse, Cirque du Soleil’s Toruk – The First Flight, Blaze, Sting, Where is the Green Sheep?

• Jon Coddington (NZ) – President of UNIMA Aotearoa NZ, Puppet Fiction, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Custard’s World

• Paul Lewis (NZ) – Sweet Tooth, M3GAN, A Minecraft Movie, Madagascar the Musical, Coldplay

📅 Event Details

🗓 Sunday 28 September 2025
⏰ 1–3pm AEST | 12:30–2:30pm NT/SA | 11am–1pm WA | 4–6pm NZDT | 4–6am UK TIME
💻 ONLINE via Zoom
🎟 FREE for ALL UNIMA members (just select your national centre when registering and share your UNIMA card, card can be downloaded here) | $20 AUD for non-members

👉 Book now: TryBooking Link

Book with you Membership card here

💡 Not a member yet?

Become part of the UNIMA family and unlock free access to events like this!
👉 Upgrade to paid and become a BrUNIMA member to join the event, support puppetry artists, and gain access to future creative showcases.

Subscribe now

📅 Saturday 18 October 2025
🕤 09:30 – 13:30
📍 Skipton Town Hall, High Street, Skipton, BD23 1AH

About the event

The following description is provided by the organisers:

"A stronger and healthier UK Puppet sector for everyone: How do we make it happen?"

An invitation from Liz Lempen, Artistic Director with Lempen Puppet Theatre Company and Skipton International Puppet Festival (2005–2021).

"When I started out as a puppeteer in the late 80’s, there was a clear dream that was easy to follow – life was simple – make puppet theatre shows - tour them to beautiful places - learn my craft and enjoy a beautiful life sharing things that I care about through puppetry.

38 years on and life seems way too complicated, we have acres of red tape and rules, we must wade through endless online applications, navigate marketing strategies through oceans of social media content, travel through ever changing Brex-shit barriers, and all of this time-consuming activity is set in a backdrop of a most challenging economic situation for culture. I think this has to be one of the most challenging times for finding your path and making your living as a puppeteer.

Many in the puppet world would identify with feeling isolated. Some will be able to reach out and find support, training, advice, mentoring, but others might struggle more or be simply more geographically isolated making it much harder or expensive to connect. We seem to have to navigate many problems alone and sometimes re-invent the wheel.

So how can we support each other better as a community?

There is infrastructure out there that supports the UK puppetry scene. Buildings, festivals, training opportunities and organisations exist that can join the dots of a stronger better future for the sector. However, UK puppetry organisations need better connection to the puppeteers. Some of the organisations are at a critical point and may even disappear if we don’t do something about it, and soon. We can’t solve these problems alone. Ultimately, we have to do this as a community, but then how can we strengthen this community to function more effectively and inclusively?

How do we keep these organisations flourishing, with new and fresh perspectives and more engagement from the wider puppet community, including younger artists?

Unlike Circus, dance or street arts, Puppetry has never had a National Review by Arts Council so there is no overview and strategy applied. Sadly, we have never been able to advocate for the sector as a whole.

How can we find a voice that can advocate for puppetry and shout about the importance and uniqueness of this art form?

You may have different experiences, views, questions and ideas.

You may be resonating with all or some of the above.

Please come and join in this conversation, share your concerns, ideas and let’s start to re-connect, re-vision and rebuild for a stronger future for puppetry in the UK."

The conversation will be facilitated by Improbable, using Open Space Technology (OST) — a flexible way for groups to set their own agenda, move between discussions, and take action around shared concerns.

Booking Information

⚠️ Ticket numbers are limited — early booking is essential.

Not a member yet?

Booking is reserved for British UNIMA members and other listed key puppetry organisations.
👉 Join British UNIMA today to unlock the booking code and secure your place at Skipton or members scroll down to claim your code.

Read more

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome practitioners, educators, and advocates working in fields such as:

• Puppetry in education

• Support for vulnerable people

• Relief and therapy work

• Social development through the arts

Current Projects

The Commission is already developing several exciting initiatives, including:

• Research & development of puppet pedagogy for people with special needs

• Translation & dissemination of applied puppetry concepts and studies to more UNIMA national centres

• Creation of a hybrid academic course for members worldwide

Get Involved

Read more

We are delighted to share the Newly proposed UNIMA Futures Commission — a working group dedicated to future-proofing, revitalising, and strengthening UNIMA through youth engagement, inclusivity, communication, and collaboration

✨ Join the UNIMA Futures Commission! ✨

Meet and join the UNIMA Futures Commission — a new working group to revitalise, future-proof, and open UNIMA to the next generation.

📅 Date: November 17th
⏰ Times: 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. [CET] – to accommodate participants from the three Americas

Read more

📅 Date: TBC
🕗 Time: Evening (exact time TBC – confirmed in the October newsletter)
🎭 Speakers: To be announced

Stockholm

In Stockholm, THE HERDS erupted into the heart of the city. The animals surged into Stortorget Square and swept through the winding alleys of Gamla Stan, the historic old town. Dust in the air, the mad rush of animals in panic, still searching for safety — the performance transformed familiar streets into a haunting vision of climate displacement.

This extraordinary moment was created in collaboration with Parkteatern – Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Riksteatern, Albaeco, På Sergels torg, Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation, Cullberg, Maja Frydén, Ulrika Josephsson and Annika Bromberg.

About THE HERDS

THE HERDS is public art and climate action on an unprecedented scale — an ambitious coming together of culture and climate.

From April to August 2025, life-size puppet animals stormed through a 20,000km route from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle, symbolizing their flight from climate disaster. Along the way, they united artists, environmentalists, and communities across Africa and Europe to spark conversation and inspire change.

Created by The Walk Productions (the team behind Little Amal), THE HERDS is a call to reimagine our relationship with nature and to act together in the face of crisis.

Now BrUNIMA members have the chance to hear directly from those who brought this ambitious project to life. The full cast of speakers will be announced soon.

📅 Date: TBC
🕗 Time: Evening (exact time TBC – confirmed in the October newsletter)
🎭 Speakers: To be announced

Access Information

This is a BrUNIMA members-only online event.

• Please ensure your membership is paid up in order to confirm your place.

• The Zoom link will appear here 24 hours prior to the event, below the member paywall.

👉 Not yet a member? Join BrUNIMA today to access exclusive online events like this one.

Subscribe now

Read more

It’s been less than a year since I joined the BrUNIMA team and I’m really enjoying finding out more about how we work here in the UK and internationally, and sharing it with you. Many of you I was lucky enough to meet at the AGM back in June, and I look forward to meeting more of you at future events.

We’re delighted to see the new website th…

Read more

With heartfelt thanks to director Mark Crane, who has graciously granted BrUNIMA, and the wider UNIMA community the honour of presenting the a special screening of his new film, The Tragicall Historie of Ophelia Eve The Dominion of Fancy.

This exclusive first look comes ahead of any festival or public screening.

"What world permits such scoundrels and fawning fools to hold dominion o’er us?"
— Ophelia Eve

🗓️ Special Screening Date & Time

🕗 Thursday 23 October 2025
🕰️ 8:00 PM BST (UK time)
🎬 Join us online for the very first viewing of this extraordinary new work.
Be among the first to witness it — together, in real time.

View the Trailer below

THE DOMINION OF FANCY

''What world permits such scoundrels and fawning fools to hold dominion o'er us?​'' - Ophelia Eve.​

🎬 About the Film

A cinematic journey through object, shadow, and traditional puppetry, this short film brings to life a dark alternate world of absurd control and creative rebellion.

From Mark Crane (writer/director) and Lyndie Wright MBE (puppet designer, Cyrano, Atonement), and featuring Ronnie Le Drew (Labyrinth, Muppet Christmas Carol), the film is both an artistic experiment and a political whisper behind the curtain.

THE PLAYING COMPANY

Mark Crane – Writer & Director
Marta Carvalho – Ophelia Eve
Ronnie Le Drew – Lead Puppeteer (The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth)
Ell Kendall – Composer
Alexandra Tanase – Director of Photography
Julia Frey – Executive Producer
Josh Frew Carter – Set & Prop Construction
Jasmine Amanda – Sound Recordist
Prof. David Wilde – Punch & Judy Performer
Lyndie Wright MBE – Puppet Designer (Atonement, Cyrano, Anna Karenina)
Nasya Mogyorossy – Production Manager
Bartolomeo Bartolini & Hugh Purves – Puppeteers
Sol Invictus – The Sun God
Punch – Himself

May the hand never be seen.

🎟️ How to Watch

This limited-access special screening is available exclusively to BrUNIMA paid members.

👉 Upgrade to paid and become a BrUNIMA member to view the film, support puppetry artists, and gain access to future creative showcases.

🕗 The special screening begins at 8:00 PM BST on Thursday 23 October —
we encourage all members to join at that time and experience the film together.

🔒 Paid Members Only Below

The premiere video will appear here at 8:00 PM BST.

Subscribe now

Please not the screening has now ended

British UNIMA is proud to be sponsoring the International Award at the Puppet Place 48 in 2025.

• Challenge Weekend: Friday 12 – Sunday 14 September 2025 (7pm BST start on the 12th)

• Finale Screening & Awards: Sunday 19 October 2025, 6pm, live at The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol & streamed worldwide.

All event information, rules, FAQs, and guidance can be found on the official Puppet Place 48 website:
👉 bristol48hpuppetfilmchallenge.co.uk

About the Puppet Place 48

Formerly known as the Bristol 48h Puppet Film Challenge, the Puppet Place 48 is an international sprint to create a brand new puppetry film in just 48 hours. Artists of all ages and backgrounds — beginners to professionals — are invited to take part.

The event is organised and hosted by Puppet Place and led by Cat Rock. Since its beginnings in 2020, the challenge has inspired over 200 original puppet films from across the globe, celebrating imagination, collaboration, and the joy of puppetry on screen.

The International Element (Sponsored by British UNIMA)

As part of our mission to strengthen international exchange and visibility in puppetry, British UNIMA is sponsoring a new International Award in the 2025 Challenge.

By welcoming both international artists and our UNIMA community, we hope to celebrate puppetry voices across borders and highlight the global nature of our artform.

This is the first year of this award — in future years we hope to grow and refine it, exploring options. For now, our focus is on shining a spotlight on international creativity and the global puppetry family.

The Inclusive Puppetry Alliance Award (TIPA)

Not everyone can take part in a high-pressure 48-hour challenge — which is why the TIPA category exists. Developed with the Broken Puppet Theatre Company, TIPA makes the Challenge accessible to participants with chronic illness, disability, or who are neurodivergent.

• Registration open now

• TIPA begins: Thursday 14 August 2025 (participants receive prompts from this date)

• Participants still have 48 hours to create their film, but those hours can be spread flexibly across a month, adapting the challenge to individual access needs.

The TIPA Award includes a £100 prize (donated by British UNIMA).

👉 More details and FAQs: Broken Puppet Theatre Company – Inclusive Puppetry Alliance

How It Works

1. Prompts announced: 7pm BST, Friday 12 September (ACTION – ITEM – THEME).

2. Make your film: 48 hours to devise, film, edit, and score your entry.

3. Submit by: 7pm BST, Sunday 14 September 2025.

   • Registration via Puppet Place 48

   • Film submissions via FilmFreeway (profile required)

4. Screening: All films featured in the Online Festival.

5. Finale: Winners revealed at the live & online screening, Sunday 19 October.
   

   Register here

More info and Apply

🏆Awards & Recognition🏆

British UNIMA International Award

• Celebrates global puppetry voices and international collaboration.

• Open to all international entries, as well as British UNIMA members.

• Includes £100 prize money

Additional BrUNIMA support:

• Offering BrUNIMA Membership to the overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

Other Prizes include:

• 🏆1st Place: £150 + British Puppet Guild Membership + Puppet Place Associate Artist Membership + BrUNIMA Membership

• 🎖️2nd Place: British Puppet Guild Membership + Puppet Place Associate Artist Membership + BrUNIMA Membership

• 🎖️3rd Place: British Puppet Guild Membership + Puppet Place Associate Artist Membership + BrUNIMA Membership

• 🎖️Youth & Community Awards: Best Under 15, Best 16–21, Inclusive Puppetry Alliance Award (TIPA £100 prize, donated by BPG & BrUNIMA)

• Special Awards: British Puppet Guild Award (£100), Audience Choice, Best of Bristol, Honourable Mentions

Judges 2025

• Ronnie Le Drew – President, British Puppet Guild; puppeteer of Zippy (Rainbow).

• Tea Poldervaart – Puppeteer, War Horse, Dinosaur World Live.

• Carolene Yawa Ada – Artistic Director, Swallow’s Wings Puppetry.

• Emma Powell – Creative Director, Air Giants.

• Mikayla R. Teodoro – Puppet designer/director, Puppet Theater Manila.

The Judge

With past judges including creatives from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, His Dark Materials, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and more.

Sponsors

• British Puppet Guild (lead sponsor)

• British UNIMA (International category sponsor)

• Puppet Place

• TIPA (The Inclusive Puppetry Alliance)

Registration

Registration is open now via FilmFreeway. Set up your profile early and allow at least one hour for uploading before the submission deadline.

Register here

👉 Register for Puppet Place 48 on FilmFreeway

Final Reminder — Save the Date!

📅 Finale Screening & Awards
Sunday 19 October 2025, 6pm

• Live: The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol

• Online: YouTube livestream (details TBA)

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🌍 While the festival takes place in Calgary, Canada, UK and international audiences can join online for an inspiring two-day programme of six curated watch parties featuring conversations, screenings, and performances from Portugal, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, the USA, and Canada.

🗓️ Dates:
Saturday 18 – Sunday 19 October 2025
💻 Where: Online via Zoom
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.wppuppet.com/pp25program

What’s Online?

Six sessions explore puppetry as a tool for empathy, education, and social change:

✨ Portugal – Miguel Albi Araujo shares What’s My Name, Mom?, a powerful production on refugees and migration.
✨ Kenya – Fedelis Kyalo presents Tears by The River, stories of African migration and puppetry in refugee communities.
✨ Lebanon – Dr. Karim Dakroub introduces puppetry as a psychosocial tool for healing in displacement contexts.
✨ Mexico – Sonia Cebollada reflects on migration and art through her lambe-lambe show Equipaje Mínimo.
✨ USA – Eric Bass screens Babylon, Sandglass Theatre’s acclaimed piece on refugee resettlement.
✨ Canada – Sequoia Erickson and collaborators discuss Light & Shadow, a shadow-puppetry-infused video game exploring mental health.

All sessions are streamed live, with one simple Zoom link providing access to the full programme. AI-generated captions will be available in English and Spanish to support accessibility.

More info | Book Now

Why Join Online?

• Connect with a truly international community of puppeteers without leaving home.

• Explore how puppetry is being used in contexts from refugee camps to video game design.

• Gain access to recorded sessions and on-demand resources after the event.

• Support WP Puppet Theatre’s mission to use puppetry for social change.

  More info | Book Now

UNIMA PASSPORT Opportunity 🎟️✈️

Are you a young puppeteer or student and a member of UNIMA? You could attend Puppet Power 2025 for free through UNIMA’s PASSPORT Programme.

Selected participants receive:
✅ Free festival tickets (online or in person)
✅ Accommodation support if attending in Calgary
✅ A chance to engage with international programming and connect with artists worldwide

📍 Puppet Power 2025: Festival of Ideas
🗓️ 18–19 October 2025 | Calgary & Online

Bursaries are also available for those facing financial barriers.

UNIMA passport programme

What to expect

📍 Skipton Town Hall, North Yorkshire
📅 Friday 17 – Saturday 18 October 2025

Two days of inspiration, discussion and connection for the puppetry community, including:

• Panels & Q&As on UK puppetry today, early careers, and international touring

• Networking breakfasts and open discussions including Devoted & Disgruntled with Improbable Theatre

• Workshops, demonstrations, stalls and exhibitions

• Lunch provided with all tickets

• Free public performances & exhibitions on Sunday 19 October

• Celebration of the British Puppet Guild’s Centenary

(Friday panels will also be live-streamed — details coming soon.)

Not a member yet?

Priority booking is reserved for British UNIMA members and other listed key puppetry organisations.
👉 Join British UNIMA today to unlock early booking and secure your place at Skipton or members scroll down to claim your code.

Read more

In “April Backstage,” the TV comedy special from ventriloquist, puppeteer, actress, and comedienne April Brucker (“My Strange Addiction,” Paramount+), April just wants to get ready to perform her legendary TJGL routine (“Videos After Dark with Bob Saget,” ABC ) in Las Vegas.

Here’s the problem: the last time she performed this routine, April dropped the towel—and tonight her mother will be in the audience! As she preps for showtime, one unexpected visitor after another derails the plan. What could possibly go wrong? UNIMA members will witness that with puppets, anything is possible—comedy, disruption, even psychic curses.

Audience suitability: Adult audiences only.

UNIMA Member Offer (Valid until 31 August 2025)

Read more