Chile Officially Establishes National Puppetry Day
📅 August 25 — declared annually throughout Chile
Chile Officially Establishes National Puppetry Day
Chile Officially Establishes National Puppetry Day
📅 August 25 — declared annually throughout Chile
Chile’s puppetry community is celebrating a major recognition for the performing and animation arts. The Ministry of Cultures, the Arts and Heritage has officially declared August 25 as National Puppetry Day, a date that will be commemorated every year throughout the country. The measure was recently published in the Official Gazette through Decree No. 40.
The initiative originated in 2023 following a joint request submitted by organizations linked to the art of puppetry — including UNIMA Chile, ATTICH, Títeres Chile A.G., and the Network of Puppeteers — together with independent artists from the sector.
The choice of August 25 carries deep symbolic value, as it coincides with the birthdays of two key figures in Chilean puppet theater: María Luisa Morales, recipient of the National President of the Republic Award, and Sergio “Tito” Guzmán, recognized as a Living Human Treasure in 2016. In addition, August is associated with the promotion of children’s rights, audiences historically connected to this performing art.
The decree highlights that the art of puppetry and marionettes constitutes a form of performing arts with a long tradition in Chile, describing it as “a living and transformative field” capable of recreating real or fantasy-based narratives linked to traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, and life teachings. It also emphasizes its contribution to the country’s cultural, artistic, and educational development, especially through its ability to transmit and preserve stories, memories, and forms of knowledge that are an essential part of Chile’s collective identity.
The document further states that the establishment of this commemoration seeks to promote, disseminate, and preserve the art of puppetry in all their different expressions, while also recognizing the artistic and cultural contribution of Chilean puppeteers.
UNIMA Chile emphasized that this recognition adds to other advances achieved by the sector in recent years, such as the consolidation of the Puppetry Area within the Performing Arts sector, the possibility of applying for the National President of the Republic Award, and the inclusion of practitioners of Traditional Puppet Theater in the National Registry of Bearers of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
For the organizations and artists involved in the field, these achievements represent a significant step toward strengthening, promoting, and safeguarding the art of puppetry in Chile, while also contributing to the recognition of current and future generations of puppeteers.
“These advances encourage us to continue dedicating our effort, work, and passion to the protection and appreciation of puppets and marionettes as a fundamental part of our cultural heritage.”
— Elizabeth Guzmán, Secretary of UNIMA Chile