BrUNIMA Newsletter – May 2026
AGM, NEW EVENTS COORDINATOR AND MUCH MORE
Dear British UNIMA Members and Friends,
There is so much to share in this month’s newsletter. From BrUNIMA, we have news of our upcoming Annual General Meeting on 14 June, a warm welcome to our new events coordinator Laura, and — most excitingly — details of our featured event Animating the Small on 9 May, a rare and intimate gathering exploring the world of miniature theatre that has very limited in-person places for members, though it will also be streamed live online so everyone can be part of it.
In the wider puppetry community, it’s a vibrant moment too — with organisations like the British Puppet Guild celebrating an impressive 101 years, the Nottingham Puppet Festival recently announcing its 2026 line-up, and a packed programme of events unfolding across the UK and beyond, including the much-loved May Fayre on 10 May in Covent Garden, London.
We’re highlighting Trwco 2026 on 15 May at Small World Theatre in Cardigan — a gathering that feels particularly timely, bringing arts venues large and small from across Wales together to wrestle with the real questions facing our sector: how do theatre buildings respond to the climate emergency, what does decarbonisation actually mean in practice, and how do we move forward together? With speakers including John E McGrath of Factory International, Claire Appleby from the Theatres Trust, and Theatre Green Book’s Catrin John, it promises to be one of the most important conversations happening in the arts this spring. We’re also flagging the Bristol Experimental Puppet Festival (5–14 June), the SIMPOSIO gathering in Tuscany (26–28 June), and a wonderful range of workshops, residencies and summer events for artists at all stages of their practice.
For those looking beyond performance and towards research, residency and international exchange, this newsletter is full of open calls worth your attention — from a puppetry residency in Greece, to a call for papers on puppetry and multimedia in Bratislava, to a practice-as-research residency in Abidjan, and more. We’re also sharing a significant update from the Charleville-Mézières World Puppet Theatre Festival about changes to how they programme work from 2027 onwards — essential reading if you’re thinking about that festival as a destination for your work.
There is genuinely something here for everyone, whether you’re a maker, a researcher, a venue manager or someone just beginning to find their way into the field.
From BrUNIMA
AGM – Save the Date
Our Annual General Meeting will take place on 14 June 2026 and all members are warmly invited to attend.
Welcome, Laura
We’re delighted to welcome new committee member Laura as our events coordinator. Laura is keen to hear about any events you’d like BrUNIMA to support, share, or help develop — online or in person. Please do say hello and get in touch at events@unima.org.uk.
Featured BrUNIMA Event
Animating the Small
📅 Saturday 9 May 2026 | 1pm
Join us for a special conversation exploring the intricate and poetic world of miniature and animated theatre.
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.
🎭 Format: Talk + live workshop demonstration (in-person and live streamed)
📍 Location: PuppetSoup Canalside Studio, 243 Ealing Rd, Wembley HA0 1QL (5 min from Alperton Station, Piccadilly Line)
💻 Also streamed live via Zoom
🎟 Tickets: Free for BrUNIMA members
In-person places are limited. To book, email: info@puppetsoup.com
A live stream link will can be found via the link below.
👉 More info
UNIMA Council 2027 & Extraordinary Congress
📅 2–6 March 2027
📍 Montréal, Canada
UNIMA has officially announced that the 2027 Council and Extraordinary Congress will take place in Montréal.
This will be a significant moment for the organisation, with proposed new Statutes and Rules of Procedure to be presented for approval.
👉Members can read more about the event here
Other Events & Opportunities
Trwco 2026 — An ongoing series of events with arts and environmental performances and discussions curated by Small World Theatre and chaired by Jane Davidson
Date and time 15 May 2026, 10am – 4pm
Venue Small World Theatre, Cardigan, Ceredigion, SA43 1JY
Cost £35 (£25 concessions) — includes lunch
👉 More info
Powerhouse Pro: Giant Puppetry with Autin Dance Theatre
📍 The Powerhouse, Coventry
🗓 Mon 18 May 2026 | 10am–5pm
💷 £50
More info and Book Now
A Grim Day Out/The Crossing Place
📅20th May 2026, St Albans Cathedral
Tickets available here:
👉6.30pm, More info and Book Now for A Grim Day Out
👉7.45pm, More info and Book Now for The Crossing Place
Bognor Puppet Festival
🗓23 - 29 May 2026
More info | Book Now
SIMPOSIO - The social declinations of the use of the figure and the animated object - UNIMA Italia
🗓 Registration deadline May 26, 2026 .
📅When: From Friday, June 26 (9:30 am) to Sunday, June 28, 2026 (early afternoon).
📍Where: Montemerano (Manciano - GR).
Participation: € 40 fee Limited places
👉 REGISTRATION FORM FOR SYMPOSIUM #4
Bristol Experimental Puppet Festival 2026
📅5-14 June 2026
📍All over Bristol
👉More info
Glove Puppet Making Workshop 🎭
Bristol | May 31 & June 7
Join international puppet maker Anne Murray (@annemurray.art / @refugepuppets) for a hands-on 2-day workshop as part of the Bristol Experimental Puppet Festival.
👉More info Book Now
Nottingham Puppet Festival
Saturday 27 June - Sunday 5 July
👉More info
Online Q&A with Neil Sterenberg – British Puppet Guild
Thursday 3 July | Online
👉More info
Puppetry Residency in Greece
📅 Application deadline 9 July 2026
👉 More info
Symposium #4 – Social Perspectives on Puppetry, Figures, and Animated Objects | Montemerano, Italy
📅 Dates: June 26–28, 2026 | 📍 Montemerano, Tuscany, Italy
👉 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
Early bird price available until 15 April
Nuts and Bolts - Before you start…
📅4 August 2026 - Online
7:00 – 8:00pm
👉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
📍 Fairy Tales is at the British Library.
Tickets are £13.50 (peak) and £11.50 (off-peak), with concessions available.
👉More info
OPEN CALLS
Visitors Program – Skupa’s Pilsen International Festival of Puppet and Alternative Theatre 2026
📅 Festival: June 10–14, 2026
📨 Applications by May 10, 2026
👉 More info
Puppetry and Multimedia 2 - Call for Papers
Deadline: 15 May 2026
Conference: 13–15 October 2026 (Arrival: 12 October) | Bratislava, Slovakia
Newcastle Puppetry Festival 2027
Prospective dates: 3rd–11th April 2027
Application deadline: Sunday 24th May 2026, 11:59pm (UK time)
👉 More info
Call for applications – 3rd edition of the “Marionnettes en Marche” Festival in Yaoundé, Cameroon
📅 Festival: July 30 – August 2, 2026
📨 Applications due by June 2, 2026
👉 More info
Exhibiting Puppets on 11 October 2026
🗓Deadline for submissions 15 June 2026
👉More info
OPEN CALL - Puppet Camp in Boneka
September 25 - October 11 2026
📍Indonesia
🗓Application Deadline: 4th August 2025
👉 info and apply
CALL FOR APPLICANTS FOR PRACTICE AS RESEARCH RESIDENCY, ABIDJAN, NOVEMBER 2026
📅 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
✉️ Contact: heritage@unima.org
Supporting British UNIMA
We’re thrilled to have reached over 200 paid members of BrUNIMA, a wonderful milestone for our community. Thank you to everyone who has chosen to support the organisation and help strengthen the puppetry network in the UK.
If you’re able to support us, we’re grateful for help in any form:
• sharing opportunities and information we can add to our website, notebook, and social media
• getting involved as a volunteer. We’re always keen to hear from people interested in writing newsletters, reviewing shows, interviewing artists, or developing their social media and editorial skills
• making a donation to support our Penny Francis campaign
• upgrading to a paid membership, referring a friend, becoming a Friend, or even gifting a membership to someone else
Whether or not you’re in a position to upgrade right now, please know that we value all our readers and community members. Your presence, engagement, and sharing make a real difference.
Warm wishes,
British UNIMA