News from BrUNIMA -Spring into Puppetry: Festivals, Workshops & Your AGM!
Your monthly May BrUNIMA roundup is packed with unmissable events, exciting opportunities, and global puppetry news!
Dear BrUNIMA subscribers and members,
Warm greetings to you all!
After a long and difficult period, I’m delighted to share that British UNIMA is thriving again, thanks to our fabulous new and loyal committee members. With a revitalised website, refreshed social media, updated membership information, and monthly newsletter, we’re reconnecting and sharing puppetry news and opportunities from the UK and beyond. Huge thanks to everyone involved — especially Andy Evans for our growing online presence on Instagram and Facebook and Holly Likes Puppets for driving the website and newsletter forward.
It’s a busy time in the puppetry world! In this issue, you’ll find info on the UNIMA Congress in South Korea, fantastic international calls for artists, a new STEM & puppetry webinar, and the return of festival season – plus the upcoming launch of the new UNIMAgazine!
We’re also pleased to announce that our BrUNIMA AGM will take place at the end of June as a hybrid event, coinciding with the spectacular arrival of The HERDS in London. At the AGM, we will formally launch the Penny Francis Award, a tribute to Penny’s legacy and lifelong commitment to international puppetry.
And a big happy 100th birthday to the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild! Many of our members are also part of the Guild, and it’s been a joy to see all the fun and festivities unfolding in this special year.
There’s so much more to come – so dive in below and enjoy.
UNIMA Congress 2025 – Let’s Meet in South Korea!
The international UNIMA Congress is taking place in Chuncheon, South Korea, between 25th and 31st May. At this event, new officers and a new Executive Committee will be elected for the international organization and new statutes and motions will be voted upon, alongside the Chuncheon Puppet Festival.
Congress Highlights & Opportunities
The Congress takes place every four years and all members are welcome to register for either online or in-person participation. The next Congress may be held in Prague for the centenary of the founding of UNIMA in 1929. This is likely to be a bumper Congress celebrating 100 years of international activity and friendship, so keep in touch over the next four years and hopefully some of you may join us there.
British UNIMA will have a presence at the 11 May Punch and Judy Fayre in Covent Garden. Our new committee member Fagner Gastaldon of Puppet Soup will be there, both to perform and also promote British UNIMA. Look out for our banner and have a chat with Fagner!
Save the Date: BrUNIMA AGM
We are beginning preparations for our AGM which will take place at the end of June to coincide with the presence of the international project The Herds in London. International puppeteers will be performing in London with large animal puppets, some of which have travelled all the way from South Africa, alongside puppets that are being made in London, raising awareness of climate change and migration. Have a look at their website and mark the dates.
The AGM will formally launch the Penny Francis Award. This is an annual grant for puppeteers living in the UK to develop work with international connections. More details will be shared at the AGM; the Award is a tribute to the work, activism and contribution to puppetry by the late Penny Francis, who made an incredible impact on our art. Other events will also be announced soon, including a talk by Alissa Mello on The Judy Project, an exploration of the character of Judy in puppetry and a workshop/presentation by Jane Paterson on her vast collection of Indian shadow puppets. We are working with Puppet Place to set up these events.
Learning Through Puppetry – Upcoming Webinar
Join Webinar No. 8 as Wendy Passmore-Godfrey explores how puppetry can be used to deliver the STEM curriculum in schools. A must for educators, teaching artists, and puppetry practitioners!
5 May 2025 at 15:00 CEST – Register for “Learning STEM Through Puppetry”
Watch highlights from the 2024 webinar series
Spotlight on UNIMA Nordic
Look out for future Puppet Saturdays by UNIMA Nordic:
UNIMA Nordic on Facebook
UNIMA Nordic is a collaboration between UNIMA centres from the Nordic countries and UNIMA Ukraine, formed three years ago in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was created to help Ukrainian puppeteers — both displaced and in exile — continue developing their craft through international exchange and training.
While there are no upcoming events currently listed, their past sessions, like “Kids, Cameras and Puppets” on 26 April, have been insightful and inspiring. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram to stay informed about the next Puppet Saturday and other future happenings — all events are free and open to the public.
Opportunities for Puppeteers, Makers & Researchers
Fantastic new international calls are open for residencies, festivals, and showcases. Whether you're creating in a studio or devising in the streets, there’s something here for you.
Apply or Submit By:
9 May 2025 - Fishing Fresh: Share Your Puppetry Ideas (Hybrid)
25 May 2025 – Apply for Jacques Félix International Residencies (France, 2025/26)
31 May 2025 – Apply for Residencies/Co-Productions at Théâtre de Laval (France)
31 May 2025 - Apply for Puppet on the Street Festival, Panevėžys, Lithuania (Event September 2026)
1 June 2025 – Apply for "We All Live Under the Same Moon" Lab (Russia)
4 July 2025 – Submit puppetry books/media for the Charleville Festival Bookshop
Festival Season is Here!
Upcoming Festival Dates:
8–11 May 2025 – Tallinn Treff Visual Theatre Festival, Estonia
11 May 2025 - Punch and Judy Fayre in Covent Garden, UK
18–22 June 2025 – FIGURE IT OUT! – Leipzig, Germany
28 July - 23 August 2025 - Little Angel Theatre: The Children's Puppet Festival
19–28 September 2025 – Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes – Charleville-Mézières
3–6 September 2026 – Puppet on the Street Festival – Panevėžys, Lithuania
Retrospective: Lübeck Conference – Puppets, a Heritage in Danger?
Our friends at KOLK 17 and the UNIMA Heritage Commission recently hosted a powerful international conference in Lübeck, Germany, discussing the preservation and evolution of puppetry as an endangered heritage.
25–26 April 2025 – Highlights & video to be released soon!
Coming Soon: The First UNIMAgazine
Big News from UNIMA!
We’re excited to share this update from UNIMA about their brand new publication, UNIMAgazine — launching soon! Whether you’re interested in reading it, advertising in it, or just curious about the project, there’s lots of opportunity to get involved.
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BrUNIMA