BrUNIMA Newsletter – July 2026
July 2026 | British UNIMA | Festivals, leadership and a puppetry pilgrimage
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Dear British UNIMA readers,
What a moment to be part of the puppetry world.
Last month, Bristol’s Experimental Puppet Festival which wrapped up on 14 June was buzzing — a wonderful showcase of adventurous puppet work from local and international artists.
Happening right now: The Nottingham Puppet Festival is underway right now and runs until 5 July — if you can get there, do. The Beverley Puppet Trail continues until 26 July, a lovely smaller-scale celebration well worth the journey. And the Fairy Tales exhibition at the British Library — featuring puppets from the LAT — runs until 23 August, a beautiful pairing of heritage and craft.
Coming up: the Little Angel Theatre Children’s Puppet Festival runs 28 July – 30 August, now in its fourth year and celebrating the theatre’s 65th anniversary. There’s also a marionette summer camp in St Albans, online workshops, a puppet film night from BrUNIMA, and much more below.
We have news from our recent puppetry travels in the Czech Republic, upcoming BrUNIMA diary dates including a puppet film night in August, we are actively seeking nominations for our next Chair and Treasurer — do read on and consider putting yourself or someone else forward - a new UNIMA International Certified Workshops Framework, and spaces still available on the UNIMA Passport Programme for 2026 festivals. We’re also delighted to share that BrUNIMA are proud sponsors of the Puppet Place 48 2026 Challenge again this year — more details coming very soon.
Further down you’ll find a packed round-up of events, open calls and opportunities from across the UK and beyond — there really is something here for everyone.
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We're looking for our next Chair and Treasurer.
British UNIMA is actively seeking nominations for both roles, and we’d love to hear from you. These are genuinely rewarding positions — a chance to help shape the direction of UK puppetry, strengthen our international connections through UNIMA, and support a vibrant community of makers, performers, researchers and enthusiasts. Whether you’re a long-standing member or someone newer to the network, we’d encourage you to consider it. There’s no single template for who should apply — we welcome nominations from members of any background and at any stage of their career. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to develop your experience in arts leadership, governance and international networks.
For the Treasurer role in particular, we’d love to hear from anyone with an interest in fundraising as well as financial oversight — members themselves raised this at the AGM as an important quality to bring to the role. To nominate yourself or someone else, please click here. Conversations are always welcome before you commit — just get in touch.
AGM — 14 June 2026
Our AGM this year was a genuinely warm and energising occasion, held in hybrid format and hosted generously by The Puppet Barge Theatre. The afternoon was enriched by a programme of performances arranged by committee member Fagner Gastaldon of Puppet Soup, whose Lambe Lambe workshop was a highlight — and among the participants was a recipient of a BrUNIMA scholarship, a lovely full-circle moment. Cariad shared that she had spoken with the scholarship recipient, who told her the award had changed their life. It was a powerful reminder of why this organisation matters and what membership makes possible.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, in person and online, and a special thank you to Puppet Soup, to the Puppet Barge, and to all who contributed to making it such a memorable afternoon.
We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Cariad Astles, who has stepped down as Chair and Trustee after years of dedicated and visionary leadership. Cariad has shaped British UNIMA into the connected, forward-looking organisation it is today — her commitment to international partnerships, inclusive practice, and the wider puppetry community has been extraordinary. Sean Myatt will be taking on some leadership responsibility during the transition period, and we are deeply grateful to him for stepping up.
Paul Piris has also given notice of his intention to step down as Treasurer — he has generously given six months for the committee to find a successor, so while the search starts now there is time to find the right person. Paul’s careful stewardship of BrUNIMA’s finances has been invaluable, and we wish him well. The AGM also voted unanimously to make both Meg Amsden and Paul Piris honorary life members of British UNIMA — a small but heartfelt recognition of their remarkable contributions to the organisation over many years.
A couple of other things worth flagging from the AGM: work on inclusivity and access is ongoing, with Sean Myatt and Nenagh Watson currently awaiting a report from Equity — more on that when it lands. And if you are a UK-based company, venue, practitioner or festival, it is worth knowing that the WEPA international puppetry directory is being updated and UK entries are actively being sought. Cariad will be reaching out for suggestions — but if you’d like to put yourself or someone else forward, do get in touch via britishunima@gmail.com
BrUNIMA in the Czech Republic — a puppetry pilgrimage
Some of us recently had the great fortune to spend time in the Czech Republic, taking in its extraordinary puppet festival scene. We visited Plzeň for the Skupa Festival at Alfa Theatre — a city best known for its beer, but which holds a very special place in puppetry history as the birthplace of Josef Skupa and his iconic duo Spejbl and Hurvínek — and Hradec Králové, home of the legendary Drak Theatre and its puppet museum, and one of the country’s most important theatre festivals, the European Regions Festival (Festival REGIONY), which features over 25 puppet shows across the historic city centre. We highly recommend!
It was a reminder of just how deeply puppetry is woven into Czech cultural life. According to Czech Loutkář magazine, there were 26 puppet festivals in the country in 2025 alone — and that’s widely considered an underestimate. The range is extraordinary: from avant-garde work in tiny Baroque cellars to large festivals that take over entire cities.
If you’re thinking about a trip, we’d strongly recommend getting in touch with Leah Gaffen at Puppets in Prague, whose knowledge of the scene is second to none - more info here. Other festivals worth knowing about include Letní Letná in Prague — a three-week international new circus and theatre festival drawing over 60,000 people, with a strong puppet strand — the Forman Brothers’ Arena Festival, and the magical Baroque town of Kuks, which hosts two puppet festivals across the summer and draws on the Czech tradition while pushing it in exciting new directions.
Most of these Czech festivals take place in June each year. If a puppetry-packed trip to the Czech Republic appeals, start planning now — it is genuinely worth the journey.
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🎭 A busy month for puppetry
The Little Angel Theatre Children’s Puppet Festival returns 28 July – 30 August, now in its fourth year and celebrating the theatre’s 65th anniversary. It’s one of the UK’s key puppetry events of the year — packed with performances, workshops and new work for children, families and practitioners. Highlights include the world premiere of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a new marionette production written, directed and designed by associate director Oliver Hymans, plus five visiting companies and a full season of workshops. Productions this year include Tiny Planet, At Sea, Jack and the Beanstalk (Sort Of), Club Origami, and Puffling Percy.
We recommend this interview with Oliver about the theatre’s 65-year history and ongoing creative direction, 👉 Read here
📰 Puppet Notebook
A strong year for submissions and member engagement — thank you to everyone who has contributed. Tim Garrett and the team continue to do wonderful work. One question that will be coming to members soon: rising print costs mean the committee needs to think carefully about the future of the printed edition.
In the meantime, if you’d like to get involved with Puppet Notebook, please do get in touch and feel free to look at past issues here.
From BrUNIMA
Thursday 13 August 2026, 7pm — BrUNIMA Puppet Film Night
Grab your popcorn and join us online for a screening of puppet films selected by BrUNIMA members. More info here
Thursday 10 September 2026, 7pm — Visual Theatre and Contemporary Puppetry: Material, Metaphor and Pedagogy
Sean Myatt and Yun Geng in conversation about contemporary puppetry and visual theatre as practices of material thinking, embodied performance and theatrical meaning-making. Coming soon.
Other UNIMA news
📝 Call for Contributions — UNIMAgazine #2
Deadline: 10 August 2026 | unimagazine@unima.org
UNIMA is preparing the second issue of UNIMAgazine on the theme of Puppetry Arts: tackling contemporary challenges. Submit your articles by 15 July — deadline coming up soon. More info
🎓 UNIMA International Certified Workshops Framework
A new framework from UNIMA International’s Training and Research Commission recognises puppetry training workshops that meet professional and pedagogical standards. Approved workshops can present themselves as UNIMA Training Workshops, use the UNIMA logo, and issue Certificates of Participation to UNIMA members. Minimum requirements: at least 40 hours or an intensive 5–6 day format, with qualified instructors. Proposals must be submitted to the Training and Research Commission at least three months before the event. Well worth exploring if you run or are planning a training programme. More info
🌍 UNIMA’s road to 100
UNIMA International has begun sharing early ideas for the journey toward its centenary in 2029, culminating in Prague — the city where UNIMA was founded. Having recently spent time there ourselves, it feels like a fitting and deeply meaningful location for that milestone. Early proposals include international exhibitions, archiving projects, global collaborations between National Centres, a centenary song, and future publications. More to come — and something for all of us to be part of. More info
🎭 UNIMA Passport Programme
Spots still available for upcoming 2026 festivals — make sure to check what’s on offer and snap up a place. More info
Other Events & Opportunities
Online Q&A with Neil Sterenberg – British Puppet Guild
Thursday 3 July | Online
👉More info
Puppet in Prague Online
Moving Mouth for a Marionette workshop with Mirek Trejtnar, puppet designer and woodcarver
📅July 5 2026
👉More info
NEW Jimmy Grimes Puppet workshops
Starting in July
👉More info
Little Angel Theatre Children’s Puppet Festival
📅28 July – 30 August 2026
👉 More info
Aladdin - marionette summer camp for ages 8-12 with Young People’s Puppet Theatre
📅27-31 July 2026
📍 St Albans, AL4 0JQ
👉 More info
Puppet in Prague Online
Discussion, Puppets and Memory with Dora Bouzkova, leading Czech puppeteer who has a PhD on puppetry and is currently developing a site-specific puppet project exploring the Sudetenland on the Czech-German border and what stories the space can tell us
📅2 August 2026
👉More info
Nuts and Bolts - Before you start…
📅4 August 2026 - Online - 7:00 – 8:00pm
👉More info
Puppet Fringe Festival New York
📅12 - 16 August, Lower East Side New York City
👉More info
Bring the Inanimate to Life: A Bold Dive into Contemporary Puppetry
17–21 August 2026 | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow | £610 | Ages 16+
👉More info
Fairy Tales Exhibition Coming To The British Library This Spring
Thrilled to announce that The Little Angel Theatre have some of their puppets on display at a landmark new exhibition at the British Library.
📅Now on until 23 August 2026
📍 Fairy Tales is at the British Library.
Tickets are £13.50 (peak) and £11.50 (off-peak), with concessions available.
👉More info
Puppets in Prague Online
Miniature Marionettes Workshop
This workshop is divided into two parts: building and making a show. You will learn to build an exquisite and practical toy theatre stage plus carved wooden marionettes and scenery. After that is complete, you will work closely with puppeteer Dora Bouzkova and develop a short show
📅Runs from September 2026 - April 2027
👉Limited to 9 students. Book Now
Newcastle Puppetry Festival 2027
Prospective dates: 3rd–11th April 2027
👉 More info
OPEN CALLS
Puppetry Residency in Greece
📅 Application deadline 9 July 2026
👉 More info
Applications are now open for Smethwick Puppetry Festival 2027
📅 Deadline: Friday 31 July, 2026
👉More info
OPEN CALL - Puppet Camp in Boneka
September 25 - October 11 2026 | 📍Indonesia
🗓Application Deadline: 4th August 2026
👉 More info and apply
Call for Contributions: UNIMAgazine #2
📅 Deadline: 10 August, 2026 | 📍 unimagazine@unima.org
👉More info
📅 Application deadline 31 August 2026
Charleville-Mézières World Puppet Theatre Festival – Programming Update
The Charleville-Mézières World Puppet Theatre Festival will no longer run its traditional open call for show submissions starting with the 2027 edition.
Artists wishing to share work with the programming team can send materials to:
📧 programmation2027@marionnette.com
The festival programme focuses primarily on new works created within the previous two years, presenting an international snapshot of contemporary puppetry.
👉 More info
📢 Open Call for Museums & Collections
Questionnaire for the Directory of Puppet Museums and Puppet Collections
🎭 Organized by: UNIMA International Heritage Commission
📝 Complete the questionnaire: fill out the form here
✉️ Contact: heritage@unima.org
🎬 Spotlight: Puppets and Technology — Czech Scene Designer of the Year
One of the highlights of our time in the Czech Republic was encountering the work of Dominik Migac, another great recommendation from our friends at Puppets in Prague and recently awarded Czech Scene Designer of 2025 — a remarkable recognition for a young and little-known artist. His award-winning puppet show explores the banality of totalitarianism through extraordinary mechanical ingenuity, and the behind the scenes trailer alone is worth your time. Dominik has also been working at the intersection of puppetry and technology, developing automata that move using sensors — a glimpse of where the craft might be heading.
Our friends at Puppets in Prague have featured his work and it is well worth exploring a talk he held as part of their puppet recipes back in May 2026.
More info
Thank you, as always, for your support. Whether you are a paid member, free subscriber, volunteer, contributor or reader, your involvement helps keep British UNIMA active, connected and visible.
Warm wishes,
British UNIMA