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Union Internationale de la Marionnette

Non-Governmental Organization affiliated to UNESCO

Europe Commission

Last updated: 19-11-2024

The commission pays particular attention to the place of the art of puppetry within cultural policies, ecological and climatic challenges, digitization and new technologies, the exchange of knowledge and the acquisition of new skills, exchanges between professionals and amateurs, monitoring of refugee artists as well as cultural rights attached to individuals.

Any new person who wishes to join the Commission must make themselves known to the President of the Commission by explaining their motivations.

Objectives

The objective of the Europe Commission is to promote international relations and dynamics between members (and non-members), regional groupings, national centers, Geographical and Thematic Commissions and the General Secretariat of UNIMA.
It seems important to us to understand the possible interactions and the limits of each of these levels.

We want to break the isolation and to open minds to international.

We also wish to federate the national centers already existing on the European continent while stimulating the creation of centers in countries where dynamics are already existing and identified by the commission.

Projects

The commission has launched the project to create an international catalogue of working puppet makers. Such a catalogue will widen opportunities for modern directors, designers and performing actors of puppet theatre in their search for people, who can either fulfill their creative intentions, or produce and realize new ideas. Download the project layout. Download the project layout.

Upcoming events

Last news of the Commission

Outstanding Contributions to the European Puppetry, Recognized by the Europe Commission

©FabiennePontoire Discover three outstanding contributions to the European world of puppetry! Mikhail Urytskyi, a teacher at the Karpenko-Kary National University in Kyiv, shares his thoughts on the challenges and evolution of contemporary puppetry. After attending several international festivals in Poland and Slovakia with his students, he shares his observations, which invite us to rethink what […]

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Puppet Saturdays Lecture Series – Visit to Puppet Master Karin Ørum’s Studio

Sculpt-Pattern and Material: A Visit in Puppet Master Karin Ørum´s Studio Curated by Rolf Søborg Hansen 2. November: 14:00 CET UNIMA Nordic Puppet Saturdays invites you on a digital visit to the studio of Danish puppet master Karin Ørum. Karin is the leading puppet maker on large productions  in Denmark, such as The Royal Theater’s […]

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Puppet Saturdays Lecture Series – Uses of Puppetry in Situations of Trauma

Uses of puppetry in situations of trauma with: Coby Omvlee, Antje Wegener & Karim Dakhroub 12. October, 14:00 CET UNIMA Nordic will hold an online round table discussion at 14h (CET) on Saturday 12th October on the theme of ‘Uses of puppetry in situations of trauma’. The speakers are experienced and talented therapists, social workers, […]

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Players of the Night: On Contemporary Shadow Theatre with Fabrizio Montecchi

Players of the Night: On Contemporary Shadow Theatre with Fabrizio Montecchi Puppet Saturdays Lecture Series September 14, 14:00 CET UNIMA Ukraine and UNIMA Sweden are excited to present the 5th Puppet Saturday Lecture in our series of digital events, curated and facilitated by UNIMA Nordic to foster cross-border collaboration and skill-sharing. Join us as we […]

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Documentation Now Available for the “CHANGE” Symposium in Bochum

The documentation from the remarkable SYMPOSIUM “CHANGE”, held this past May in Bochum, is now available! This event, organized by FIDENA in collaboration with the International Festivals Commission, brought together visionary ideas, discussions, and performances centered around transformation in the arts. You can now access in-depth information and videos from the symposium via the link […]

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Clément Peretjatko Awarded 2024 Prix Michael Meschke for Puppetry Arts

Europe, France, News, Notices, Sweden - 14/07/2024

French theatre director and puppeteer Clément Peretjatko has been awarded the 2024 international “Prix Michael Meschke for the preservation and renewal of puppetry arts.” Peretjatko graduated from ESNAM of Charleville-Mézières (National Superior School of Puppetry Arts), where Meschke was one of his teachers. He is also President of the UNIMA Europe Commission. (Union Internationale de […]

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SYMPOSIUM (Italy): The social dimensions of using puppets and animated objects

Europe, Italy, News, Notices - 24/06/2024

SYMPOSIUM The social dimensions of using puppets and animated objects Friday 28, Saturday 29, Sunday 30 June 2024 Teatro Fonderia Leopolda – Follonica, Italy Animated figures such as puppets, marionettes, and dolls are powerful communication tools capable of influencing and enriching community life. These artistic and communicative forms promote cultural, educational, and therapeutic values, while […]

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Puppet Saturday Lecture Series: Inclusive Puppetry with Dr. Kateryna Lukianenko

Join UNIMA Ukraine & UNIMA Nordic on 17. February, 2024 at 14:00 CET for the third Puppet Saturday Lecture Series event.  Dr. Kateryna Lukianenko will present on the Ukrainian theatre project The Sixth Sense. The Sixth Sense is an inclusive theatre research project for audiences with visual impairments. It explores a sensory theater format to develop […]

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UNIMA, an international meeting point at the Charleville-Mézières puppet theatre festival

UNIMA was present at the 2023 World Festival of Puppet Theatres, where the association organised various events enabling members from all over the world to meet around common themes and a convivial drink. A great international meeting place which welcomed nearly 500 people over 4 days. The delegation from Chuncheon, led by UNIMA South Korea […]

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Michaël Meschke Prize 2023

Europe, News, Notices - 13/08/2023

On Saturday, June 24th, 2023, Roman Rudenko, director of the Marionette Theater of Mariupol, Ukraine, received the Michaël Meschke Prize at the Museum of Puppetry Arts (MAM) in Lyon. In 2022, this Prize had been given to Iryna Rudenko and her theater “in support of the revival of the Marionette Theater of Mariupol and its […]

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Join UNIMA during the World Puppet Festival of Charleville-Mézières

UNIMA space – An International meeting point 19 > 22 September Find us on the map: Espace UNIMA > n°28 /// 75 Forest avenue > n°10   UNIMA organises Happy Apéros and meetings to join together and celebrate friendship among puppeteers as well as to exchange ideas and discuss the challenges facing our international organisation. […]

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EVOC – A European project combining education and vocational training / The booklets

Since 2018, several actors in the puppetry arts in Europe have formed an informal network for exchange and reflection, entitled “Puppet.Net” and coordinated by UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionnette). In 2020, they decided to put the results of these exchanges into practice in the form of a European mobility project enabling young puppeteers from […]

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Douanes, a European creation at the FMTM

Europe, Unima Projects - 21/07/2021

Douanes, by Sylvie BaillonIn cocreation with Liza Cox, Joana Feijo, Emilie Parmentier, Eléonore Antoine Snowden *Duration: 40 minutes / multidisciplinary form / From 15 years old Followed by a meeting with the teams of the African, American and Asian creations of Douanes – Customs – Adouana What does it mean today to cross borders?  A story […]

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Release from the Europe Commission

Europe - 12/03/2014

  The UNIMA European Commission chaired by Nina Monova is pleased to report to all National Centres and members (mostly) residents in Europe, it has developed new policies to highlight what is happening in Europe. The Commission would like to establish a close collaboration with the National Centres. Now, the Commission invites the National Centres […]

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Project of an international catalogue of working puppet makers

Europe - 18/09/2013

A new project of UNIMA European Commission calls on creation of international catalogue of such an outstanding and still working puppet makers of different types of puppets and masks. In catalogue, except of the names, e-mails and post addresses, there will be a short biographical information and short description of everyone, including photos of their […]

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