BrUNIMA is the UK’s national centre of UNIMA, the oldest international puppetry organisation in the world (est. 1929).

As a volunteer-run organisation, we work tirelessly to support puppetry enthusiasts, practitioners, and companies by facilitating connections, sharing resources, and providing opportunities to attend international festivals, workshops, and events. We also publish Puppet Notebook, a high-quality magazine exploring the diverse world of puppetry, from traditional forms to contemporary innovations.

By joining BrUNIMA, you become part of a global community of puppeteers, makers, educators, researchers, and enthusiasts working to celebrate and strengthen the art of puppetry and support the work we do.

🔐 Who is a BrUNIMA Member?

You are a BrUNIMA member if:

• You are a paid subscriber to this newsletter

• You’ve been granted a complimentary membership

• Or you're a recognised Friend of BrUNIMA

If you’re unsure about your membership status, just email us at membership@unima.org.uk

Join or Renew Membership

✨ Subscribe as a BrUNIMA Member - Apply Here

🎓 Student? Click here for 60% off - Apply here

📌 Students must use a university email address.
This offer is monitored, but we trust our community to use it honestly. If you're not a student, we ask that you sign up at the standard rate to help support our work.

✅ What You Get as a BrUNIMA Member

📬 A monthly newsletter with puppetry news from the UK and around the world
🌍 Connection to the UNIMA International network
🎟️ Discounts to events, workshops, and festivals
🤝 A supportive community of students, professionals, and practitioners
🎁 Exclusive offers from partner organisations (see below)
🎁Members Spotlight on the Website, Newsletter and Social Media

🔒 MEMBERS-ONLY AREA

Read more

Penny Francis (1931–2023) was a tireless advocate, teacher and researcher of puppetry. She inspired generations of puppeteers and theatre-makers in the UK and around the world.

To honour her life and contribution, British UNIMA is launching the Penny Francis Memorial Award — providing annual grants to UK-based puppeteers to develop their work internationally.

Each year, British UNIMA will award up to £1000 to one or more recipients for development activity to support activities such as:

✦ travel and collaboration
✦ rehearsal or research visits
✦ cultural exchange and professional development

The criteria for the applications, which will be launched in spring 2026, are that the award will be given to puppeteers or puppetry enthusiasts based in the UK for work which includes an international aspect. The work can be for making new work, developing international relationships with puppeteers overseas, attending overseas events, visiting archives, libraries and museums, participating in international training, etc.

Our goal is to raise £5,000 by January 2026 to fund the next round of awards.

How Your Support Helps

All membership fees (£23/year) go towards:

• Paying our guest speakers and contributors

• Maintaining our website and The Puppet Notebook

• Supporting our outreach and puppetry network

This means that every donation you give via PayPal goes directly to the Penny Francis Memorial Award — helping us grow the fund and support more artists.

💝 Donate

If you’d like to help us reach our £5,000 target, please click below:

Donate via PayPal

Every contribution makes a difference — and if you’re in the UK, you can add Gift Aid to make your donation go 25% further.

Other Ways to Support

If you’ve already donated or prefer to help in other ways:

• Sign up to Give as you Live — shop online and raise funds for us at no extra cost.

• Share this post to help spread the word to other puppetry lovers.

• Upgrade to A BrUNIMA Friend

  Donate Now

What’s Next

We’ll update this page with fundraising milestones and stories from the puppeteers who benefit from your support.
Award winners will be announced in the April 2026 issue of The Puppet Notebook.

Thank you for helping us keep Penny’s light shining in the world of puppetry.

💬 Questions?
Contact us at news@unima.org.uk

Give as you Live Online is the free and easy way to raise money for BRITISH UNIMA every time you shop online at over 6,000 stores.

From holidays and travel to clothing and gifts, you can raise hundreds of pounds through your everyday shopping — all at no extra cost to you.

Simply join for free and start shopping to make a real difference for BRITISH UNIMA!

💡 How to Start Raising for Us

1. Join for free
Enter your details to create your free Give as you Live account.
2. Browse
Choose from over 6,000 partnered stores.
3. Shop
Visit your chosen store via our website or app, then shop as normal.
4. Raise
Each time you shop, the store makes a free donation to BRITISH UNIMA — at no cost to you!

🛒 There Are 6,000+ Ways to Raise

Here are just some of the amazing stores partnered with Give as you Live Online.
Join for free and start shopping today to support BRITISH UNIMA — every purchase helps us keep the art of puppetry alive and thriving!

👉 Start Shopping & Raising Funds

💖 Many Ways to Support BRITISH UNIMA

There are lots of ways you can help us continue our work in promoting and celebrating puppetry:

• Shop online through Give as you Live Online

• Become a member and join our community of puppetry enthusiasts

• Make a donation to support our projects and artists

👉 Click here to make a donation

Every action, no matter how small, helps BRITISH UNIMA bring puppetry to life across the UK and beyond. Thank you for your support! 🎭

👉 Join for Free and Start Shopping

Give as You Live instore

Don’t forget the gift tag!
Once you’ve purchased your gifts and generated free donations, download the free gift tags to let your loved ones know that their gift comes with double the joy

Thank you