The FIDENA is on its birthday and will present itself from 9 to 18 May 2018 with a program that gathers international stars, newcomers and discoveries of the puppet theater scene in the Ruhrgebiet.

The festival, which is one of the most important and innovative in the international scene of puppet theater  is 60 years old.

The 2018 program is titled resist! Several productions deal with “female resistance”, others with civic protest or political resistance, and some recall historical resistance movements.

In the cities of Bochum, Essen, Herne and Hattingen more than 30 productions are presented at twelve venues. Many productions are to be seen as German premieres as well as world premieres, some of them are commissioned for the anniversary festival. The artists come from Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Israel, Great Britain, Argentina, Chile, France, Australia, the Congo, Spain and Germany.

Invited shows and artists (changes reserved):

• “PUNCH” world premiere, Stefanie Oberhoff (Germany), Snuff Puppets (Australia) and friends
• “Jake & Pete’s Big Reconciliation Attempt for the Disputes from the Past” without words, Jakob Ampe & Pieter Ampe (Belgium)
• “Un secret de rue” German version, Alain Lecucq and Narguess Majd (France)
• “Le petit monde … Opus 1” without words, Ezéquiel Garcia Romeu (France)
• “Babylon “Neville Tranter (Netherlands), in English
• “Bomba Mix” Alfredo Zinola (Italia) (for children)
• “The Ventriloquist Convention” English version Gisèle Vienne, Puppentheater Halle (France/Germany)
• “Arde brillante en los bosques de la noche”, Mariano Pensotti (Argentina), Spanish with English and German subtiltles / “Carbon” world premiere, without words, Cie Freaks und Fremde (Germany)
• “The crocodile chant” Teatro distinto (Italia), without words for children.
• “Coulrophobia” Pickled Image (United Kingdom), in English
• “Besuchszeit vorbei” and another world premiere Ariel Doron (Israel)
• “Sorry Boys” Marta Cuscuna (Italia), Italian with German subtitles
• “Orlando Furioso” Opera di Pupi Mimmo Cuticchio (Italia)
• “Whispers” Cie. Mossoux-Bonté (Belgium)
• Worst Case Scenario (Israel)
• Ainsley Henderson world premiere (United Kingdom)
• Xavi Bobes (Spain)
• Latung LaLa (Spain)