Humanitas Commission UNIMA International

18/10/2026

Dear UNIMA colleagues,

We are pleased to share the international open call for the 15th edition of the International Puppet Theatre Festival for Adults “Pierrot”, taking place from 23 to 29 September 2027 in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.

This edition, titled “Intersections”, will focus on contemporary puppetry for adult audiences, object theatre, visual theatre and interdisciplinary performance.

We would be very grateful if you could share this opportunity with your members, professional networks and through your communication channels.

Application deadline: 15 December 2026

Application form: https://forms.gle/Y11UmzyLmessjLvr9

The festival covers performance fees, accommodation and meals. Travel expenses are the responsibility of the participating companies.

Thank you for supporting international exchange and helping us reach puppet theatre artists and companies around the world.

Warm regards,

Natalia Aleksieva

Festival Coordinator and International Relations Manager

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Наталия Алексиева | Natalia Aleksieva
Драматург | Dramaturge
Куклен театър Стара Загора | Puppet Theatre Stara Zagora
Координатор * МКТФ „Пиеро“ | Coordinator * IPTF "PIERROT"
+359 895 552 585 | [email protected] | LinkedIn

10/10/2026

UNIMA International Celebrating the Centenary of Margareta Niculescu An international conference in Bucharest marking a century of innovation and leadership in the puppetry world, and the revival of UNIMA Romania 📅 23–25 October 2026 · Bucharest, Romania The Romanian National Commission for UN...

09/10/2026

UNIMA International IETM Launches Open Call for the 2027 Global Connect Programme A flagship IETM programme inviting ten performing arts professionals from around the world to join its international network 📅 Deadline: Thursday 15 October 2026, 23:59 CEST IETM — the International Network for Co...

09/10/2026

HUMANITAS & COOPERATION COMMISSION

Volunteer Video Editor Wanted – Frontline Puppetry Podcast
Frontline Puppetry is a podcast by UNIMA International that gives voice to puppeteers creating and living through political conflict, social unrest, war, or humanitarian crisis.
We're looking for a volunteer video editor to help these stories reach the wider audience they deserve. Join the dedicated team of volunteers behind the Humanitas & Cooperation Commission and put your skills to work for a good cause.
The role:
• Unpaid volunteer position
• 1 video per quarter (final episodes run about 1 hour)
• Subtitling is often part of the edit
• Schedule agreed with the commission

To apply: Send a short note about yourself and an informal selection of past work (links are perfect) to Commission Chair Kata Csató at [email protected]
[Read More about the Project]
Thank you to everyone who gives their time and skills for the good of others.

03/10/2026

https://www.unima.org/en/dear-unima-share-your-story-for-unimas-heritage/

UNIMA International Dear UNIMA: Share Your Story for UNIMA’s Heritage 📅 Deadline: 1 October 2028 The UNIMA International Heritage Commission invites all UNIMA members to share a memory, experience or moment connected with UNIMA as part of a collective effort to preserve the organization’s her...

03/10/2026

📅 October 22, 2026 | 1:30–3:30 p.m. CET | English and French | Online – via ZoomWhat does the future of puppetry look like? What themes, technologies, forms, motifs, and aesthetics will shape this art form in the coming years? And how can puppetry contribute to addressing the major challenges facing our world, from climate change and inclusion to intercultural exchange?
UNIMA’s International Committee on the Future invites puppeteers, cultural professionals, newcomers to the field, and anyone interested in the future of our art form to an open international discussion exploring these questions.
The Future of … series’ next session will focus on sustainability—and what it means to sustain our art form in every sense of the word.
What does sustainability mean for puppetry?
In the art of puppetry, sustainability can take many forms. It can involve developing more sustainable approaches to touring, rethinking the materials and processes used in puppet design and production, exploring responsible ways to manage and reuse materials, or developing strategies that enable companies and individual artists to sustain themselves financially and professionally.
Speakers
To examine these issues from various perspectives, the Futures Commission has invited experts and thinkers from the international puppetry community:The discussion will be moderated by Mareike Gaubitz (Germany).
Staffan Björklund (Sweden)
Georgui Tenev (Bulgaria)
Pierre Gosselin (France)
Terence Tan (Singapore)
Shoshana Bass (USA)
Rather than offering definitive answers, the session aims to create a space for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences, strategies, practical ideas, tips, and approaches toward creating a more sustainable future for puppetry.
As a starting point, we also invite participants to consider the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their potential connection to puppetry and the performing arts.
Whether you are an experienced puppeteer, a newcomer to the field, or a cultural professional interested in sustainable artistic practices, we warmly invite you to join the discussion.
The Future of Sustainability …
Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 1:30–3:30 p.m. Central European Time
Languages: English and French
Moderator: Mareike Gaubitz (Germany)
Registration deadline: October 22, 2026Register here: Register for the event:
https://www.unima.org/en/the-futures-of-sustainability/

03/10/2026

https://www.unima.org/en/heritage-dialogues-opera-dei-pupi/

UNIMA International Heritage Dialogues: Opera dei Pupi UNIMA International Heritage Commission launches a new series on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and puppetry 📅 14 December 2026 | 13:00 CET | YouTube Premiere Event | Italian, with subtitles The UNIMA International Heritage Commission in...

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https://www.unima.org/en/unima-opens-the-call-for-festivals-to-join-the-festival-passports-2027-programme/

UNIMA International UNIMA Opens the Call for Festivals to Join the Festival Passports 2027 Programme The UNIMA International Festivals Commission invites puppet theatre festivals from around the world to participate in the UNIMA Festival Passports 2027 programme, an initiative aimed at supporting th...

03/10/2026

HUMANITAS & COOPERATION PODCAST – FRONTLINE PUPPET THEATER

🎙️ UNIMA Podcast Series
Frontline Puppetry
“Giving a Voice to Puppeteers in Situations of Conflict and Crisis”

Frontline Puppetry is a UNIMA International podcast that gives a voice to puppeteers who create and live in environments marked by political conflicts, social unrest, wars, or humanitarian crises.
The project began with the first live-streamed conversation featuring Mr. Siavash Sattari, president of UNIMA Mobarak–Iran. In this first conversation, Mr. Sattari shared the unique power of puppetry in education, inspiration, and building bridges between communities. This conversation later became the foundation for the development of the Frontline Puppetry podcast.
Through in-depth conversations, the podcast brings listeners closer to artists who continue to work on the front lines of adversity—using puppets, objects, and animated forms as tools for expression, resistance, care, and connection. Their stories reveal how art survives, adapts, and responds under the most difficult circumstances.
Produced as part of the work of UNIMA’s Humanitas & Cooperation Committee, Frontline Puppetry aims to: Each episode focuses on a puppeteer’s personal journey: their artistic career, the challenges they face, the role of puppetry in their community, and the support they need to continue creating. By listening to these voices, Frontline Puppetry invites us to reflect on the power of art as a form of resilience and a catalyst for collective action.
To shed light on the realities experienced by puppeteers in vulnerable situations
To promote international solidarity and cooperation
Let’s build bridges between artists, institutions, and communities
Raise awareness within the global UNIMA network and beyond
Frontline Puppetry calls on you not only to listen to these voices, but to stand with them—share their stories and help bring their work to life.

https://www.unima.org/en/humanitas-cooperation-podcast-frontline-puppetry/

03/10/2026

Antonio Pasqualino internazionale delle marionette múzeum (Palermo)Antonio Pasqualino Marionette Nemzetközi Múzeum

https://wepa.unima.org/en/museo-internazionale-delle-marionette-antonio-pasqualino-palermo/