Puppetry in Motion — February Highlights
Festivals underway, World Puppetry Day ahead, international calls, and opportunities across our UK and global community.
Dear Members and Friends,
February is alive with puppetry — on stages, online, and across our international network.
In this issue, we share:
🎭 Smethwick Puppetry Festival (14–22 February) is now underway, bringing artists and audiences together in the West Midlands. If you’re attending, we’d love to hear from you — and if not, there’s still time to catch events before it closes next week.
🌍 We’re also looking ahead to World Puppetry Day on 21 March, inviting you to start planning your celebrations and sharing the official materials across your networks.
🍲 The Thursday SOUP Nights at St Barnabas, Dalston, continue to gather the Curious puppetry community around food, conversation and shared practice.
🤝 We share important news from UNIMA International, including a message from President Louise Lapointe and General Secretary Fabrizio Montecchi, alongside open calls for museums, festivals, and webinar participation.
✨ And we’re honoured to welcome Palestinian puppeteers Mahdi Karira and Yousef Alhindi as honorary members of British UNIMA.
From exhibitions in Ditchling to regional meetings in Plovdiv, online festivals from UNIMA-Ukraine, and workshops in Newcastle upon Tyne, there is so much unfolding across our community.
Most of all — thank you. British UNIMA is powered by its members. Your engagement, generosity, and presence make this network meaningful and alive.
Scroll on to see what’s happening and how to get involved.
🗓 Now on until 22 February 2026
The Smethwick Puppetry Festival is in full swing. With performances, gatherings, and creative exchange taking place across the week, it’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with artists and audiences in the West Midlands.
👉 More info
Newcastle Puppetry Festival — 2026 Update
We were deeply saddened to learn that the 2026 Newcastle Puppetry Festival, produced by Moving Parts Arts, will not go ahead due to a lack of Arts Council England funding.
Over recent years, the festival has become one of the largest and most celebrated puppetry events in the UK. The 2024 edition welcomed around 28,000 people to Newcastle upon Tyne, beginning with a parade and free performances on Northumberland Street and filling venues across the city.
Artistic Director Kerrin Tatman and the Moving Parts team shared that, despite their best efforts, funding was not secured for 2026. More than 250 artists had applied to be part of the programme.
The good news is that an Easter programme of activity will still go ahead from 4–12 April 2026, including:
The first Moving Parts Puppet Film Fest at Tyneside Cinema
Puppet-making workshops for adults
Free performances of A Treasury of Tyneside Tales at the Great North Museum
A 9-day community installation, Wind Garden
Community exhibitions celebrating local participation
We want to acknowledge the immense work involved in producing festivals of this scale. Events like Newcastle Puppetry Festival do not just present performances — they build audiences, develop artists, and strengthen the cultural fabric of their cities.
At a time when arts funding remains highly competitive and uncertain, it is more important than ever that we support puppetry festivals across the UK — by attending, advocating, sharing, and championing their work wherever we can.
We hold hope for the return of the festival in April 2027 (3–11 April dates pencilled in) and stand in solidarity with the Moving Parts team.
More info
A Message from UNIMA International
At the start of 2026, UNIMA International shared a message reaffirming the values that guide our global puppetry community.
In their statement, President Louise Lapointe and General Secretary Fabrizio Montecchi encouraged members to remain a dynamic, active, and united community — committed to democracy, inclusion, solidarity, and to developing future projects with a focus on collective impact.
As British UNIMA, we’re proud to be part of this international network and to carry these principles forward in our work throughout the year.
More info
British UNIMA Welcomes Two Palestinian Puppeteers
There is currently no UNIMA centre in Palestine. Given the ongoing war and local conditions, it is not possible to establish one at present.
British UNIMA has therefore invited Mahdi Karira and Yousef Alhindi to become honorary members, enabling them to access the benefits of UNIMA membership.
Both are longstanding puppeteers working in extremely challenging circumstances. We hope to invite them to share more about their work with members in the coming months.
World Puppetry Day — 21 March (Looking Ahead)
Launched in 2003 by UNIMA, World Puppetry Day is an international celebration of puppetry arts, traditions, and contemporary practice.
Observed annually on 21 March, it brings together artists, educators, organisations, and audiences around the world.
This day promotes:
The safeguarding of puppetry traditions alongside renewal and innovation
The use of puppetry as a means of ethical and aesthetic education
How to take part:
✔ Share your events and activities
✔ Tag @britishunima and @unimainternational
✔ Use #WPD2026 #UNIMA
✔ Add #WorldPuppetryDay2026 in your language
UNIMA will reshare posts on 21 March and compile a global video celebrating activity worldwide.
In the lead-up to March, we’ll continue sharing background and resources, with the official international message released on the day itself.
Thursday SOUP Nights — Curious Puppetry Community
SOUP Nights are evenings of nourishment for body and soul — a space to eat together, relax, network, and share practice.
Originally conceived in collaboration with puppetry supervisor, maker, and puppeteer Daisy Beattie, these gatherings feature a talk, slideshow, film, or demonstration, followed by informal discussion. The Curious community collectively hosts the evening, preparing soup together in a mindful, welcoming ritual.
Open to puppeteers, directors, makers, designers, students, historians, and enthusiasts.
📍 St Barnabas Dalston
🕡 6.30–9pm (soup at 7pm, speaker at 7.30pm)
Upcoming dates (Speakers TBC):
26 February 2026
5 March 2026
Events & Opportunities
Smethwick Puppetry Festival
🗓 14–22 February 2026
👉 More info
All-Ukrainian online festival “Premieres of a season” 2026 Broadcasts
📅Every Saturday and Sunday until March 15, 2026 at 16:00 (EET).
📺 Watch on YouTube: UNIMA-UKRAINE YouTube Channel
Work Experience at Plunge: A Hands-On Dive Into Creative Magic
📅 Applications for our 2026 programme are now open!
Placements run from May to September 2026 and are generally for 1 to 2 weeks.
To apply, please complete this application form.
UNIMA South-East Europe Regional Meeting
🗓 19–22 February 2026
📍 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
UNIMA International, in partnership with the State Puppet Theatre – Plovdiv and AKT-UNIMA Bulgaria.
👉 More info
The Things That Breathe: An Emotional and Material Geography of Maternal Memories
Method: NeuroPuppetry Method™ Guided by: Andrea Markovits
Starts: February 25 Duration: 8 sessions - Wednesdays ONLINE
Time: 18:00–19:30 (Barcelona time)
👉 More info
British UNIMA Scholarship — Lambe-Lambe Theatre Course
🗓 Deadline: 27 February 2026
👉 More info | Apply
Puppet Building Office Hours with Carole D’Agostino
Sunday, March 8th at 2pm est via Zoom
👉 More info
Strings Attached The Art of Puppetry in Ditchling
Ditchling Museum, East Sussex, BN6 8SP.
🗓Saturday 28 March – Sunday 27 September 2026
👉 More info
7-day Marionette Making Course with Stephen Mottram
🗓7–13 April 2026 · Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne
👉More info
Puppet Building Office Hours with Alex Vernon
🗓Sunday, April 12th at 2pm est via Zoom
👉 More info
UNIMA Online session: Audience development methods in the context of international puppet theatre festivals
📅 21 April 2026 🕐 Time: 14:30 CET
🌐 Language: English ⏱️ Duration: Approx. 120 minutes
More info
Webinar: Applied Puppetry: Critical Thinking and Action for Peace
📅 22 April 2026 🕐 Time: 15:00 CET
📺 Watch Live: UNIMA’s Youtube channel
✉️ Register: appliedpuppetry@unima.org
👉 More info
OPEN CALLS
📢 Call for Presentations: Webinar Series – Conserving – Archiving- Exhibiting Puppets
🎭 Organized by: Heritage Commission
💻 Format: Online (Zoom)
UNIMA International Heritage Commission cordially invites archivists, curators, museum practitioners, researchers, and other professionals to present in its webinar series focusing on the conservation, archiving, and exhibition of puppets.
Conserving and Preserving Puppets on 11 April 2026
🗓Deadline for submissions 27 February 2026
Documenting and Archiving Puppets on 11 July 2026
🗓Deadline for submissions 15 April 2026
Exhibiting Puppets on 11 October 2026
🗓Deadline for submissions 15 June 2026
👉More info
📢 Open Call for Museums & Collections
Questionnaire for the Directory of Puppet Museums and Puppet Collections
🎭 Organized by: UNIMA International Heritage Commission
The UNIMA International Heritage Commission invites museums and collection holders to complete the Directory of Puppet Museums and Puppet Collections questionnaire which aims to collect information on puppet museums and diverse forms of puppet collections worldwide.
The collected data aims to support research, documentation, and knowledge-sharing on puppetry, while contributing to the visibility of institutions, individuals, and initiatives involved in the protection and dissemination of puppetry heritage.
📝 Complete the questionnaire: Fill out the form
✉️ Contact: heritage@unima.org
UNIMA Open Call to Puppet Festivals: Join UNIMA PASSPORT Program
More info
Supporting British UNIMA
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If you’re able to support us, we’re grateful for help in any form:
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Warm wishes,
British UNIMA