Celebrating International Peace Day – 21st September 2024
There are no words to describe the events that took place this year in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This beautiful city, with a history spanning from the Ottoman era, preserves architectural marvels and puppetry traditions protected by UNESCO, the Old Bridge of Mostar (World Heritage List) and Karagöz, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
This year with tremendous support of the FLUM Festival and Puppet Theater Mostar, the UNIMA Puppetry Collaboratorium embarked on a quest to fulfill the aims of this beautiful project and promote peace and mutual understanding.
Note: This project is available for all national centers and representatives of UNIMA International to initiate in their own communities.
Read more about it on the link: UNIMA Puppetry Collaboratorium
This year, the project stood on the solid foundations of UNIMA’s mission: to promote peace, preserve tradition, and aim for innovation as we look ahead to 2025, where the themes of Artificial Intelligence and robotics will take center stage.
Endorsed by UNESCO’s NGO Liaison Committee, the festival kicked off on International Peace Day, 21st September 2024, with a stunning 3D mapping featuring live-recorded shadow projections created by John Philip and Lovro Buva from Dugoselangeles Film Production.
This visual masterpiece illustrated the region’s difficult history of conflict through shadow play, symbolizing the “powder keg.” The phrase “powder keg” has often been used to describe the Balkans, especially in the context of the region’s history of ethnic tensions, political instability, and conflicts. However, instead of destruction, the projection concluded with the emergence of a million glowing fireflies, transforming the old destructive narratives and symbolizing the FLUM festival. The installation enveloped Mostar’s puppet theater, emphasizing unity, peace, and a future built on bridges, not division.
Speeches from UNESCO NGO Liaison Committee President Mr. Nick Newland and UNIMA General Secretary Mr. Dimitri Jageneau highlighted the collective commitment to nurturing a culture of peace. Their words resonated deeply, as they urged us to embrace what is noble in all of us.
The finale of the opening left the audience speechless with a heartfelt musical performance by Mr. Edin Kmetas, CEO of the Mostar Puppet Theater, and Ms. Jelena Stojanovic Patrnogic, CEO of the Theater for Children in Kragujevac, Serbia. Together, they performed the song “A House Full of People” by the renowned Bosnian singer Zdravko Colic, with Ms. Stojanovic Patrnogic on piano. Their song, celebrating unity and shared love across nations, moved the crowd to embrace, sing together, and sit on the beautiful steps of the puppet theater, overlooking the city. This moment of collective joy will long be remembered.
Guiding Light: Puppetry as a Catalyst for Global Reflection
Following the opening ceremony, a moving installation endorsed by UNIMA’s Humanitas and Cooperation Commissions was unveiled. Set in a serene garden on a majestic olive tree, the installation displayed drawings by children and poems from individuals in refugee camps around the world. These powerful works, suspended from the olive tree – a symbol of peace – cast in soft red light with the sounds of children playing in the background, left a profound impact on all who witnessed it.
The festival’s opening grand conclusion was an exhibition curated by Jean Marie Keevins, featuring the photography of Richard Termine. Titled Guiding Light: Puppetry in Action, the exhibit showcased works developed at The National Puppetry Conference at The O’Neill, focusing on the teaching work of the famous puppet artist, originally from Mostar, Ms. Ines Pasic and the themes of peace, war, and environmental challenges. This exhibition served as a poignant reminder of puppetry’s power to address urgent global issues.
The 2024 edition of FLUM will be remembered not just for its artistic excellence but also for the incredible puppet shows we experienced as part of the festival’s main program, featuring performances from Hungary, Bosnia, Serbia, Romania, Spain, Estonia, Slovenia, Croatia, and more. It brought to life a profound message of peace, unity, and creative vision in Mostar, uniting many UNIMA representatives from Bosnia, Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Serbia, Croatia, Jordan, Canada, Australia, the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Czechia, Belgium, the UK, Bulgaria, Romania, Singapore, Korea, and Italy. The festival proved that through art, we can heal, inspire, and build a brighter future.
Bridging Cultures Through Puppetry: Karagöz and Global Traditions
From September 21st to 25th, the UNIMA Puppetry Collaboratorium (PC) project hosted a series of panel discussions focused on Karagöz, a form of shadow puppetry—or as we learned from UNIMA Turkey President Mr. Enis Ergün and Executive Board member Dr. Nazlı Ümit, “painted image puppetry.” These discussions featured insightful presentations from leaders across countries influenced by this remarkable puppetry tradition. Among the distinguished speakers were Karagöz master Enis Ergün and Dr. Nazlı Ümit (UNIMA Turkey), Karagöz master Babis Kostidakis, Erato Sioropoulou and Maria Manasi (UNIMA Greece), Karim Dakroub (UNIMA Lebanon), Buthaina Bandora (UNIMA Jordan), Jafar Sattari, Saina Sattari, and Salma Mohseni (UNIMA Iran), and Ronald Panza (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Presenters from Jordan, Buthaina Bandora and Saudi Arabia, represented by Dr. Majed Bin Obaid, and from Singapore, by Mr. Terence Tan, also contributed to the discussions by showcasing puppetry projects from their countries.
UNIMA Turkey President Mr. Enis Ergün, alongside Dr. Nazlı Ümit, led an immersive, full-day workshop, guiding participants through every stage of creating and performing Karagöz puppetry. One of the most captivating moments came when Karagöz master Mr. Babis Kostidakis from Greece joined Mr. Ergün in a bilingual performance. Together, they demonstrated how puppetry can transcend language barriers, captivating audiences with a cross-cultural display of this fascinating art form.
In addition to the Karagöz workshop, we also had the privilege of participating in a unique workshop titled “Puppets on the Silk Road: Kheimeh Shab Bazi – Iranian String Puppets,” led by UNIMA Mobarak President Mr. Jafar Sattari and Ms. Siavash Sattari. This session highlighted the rich tradition of Iranian puppetry, adding another layer to our understanding of the art’s global diversity.
Behind the Curtains: The Legacy of Jan Malík and Margareta Niculescu in European Puppetry
On September 24th, a conversation titled“Behind the Curtains” with Ms. Nina Malíkova and Ms. Irina Niculescu, moderated by Dimitri Jageneau, offered fascinating insights into the history of UNIMA and the legacy of their parents, renowned puppetry artists Jan Malík and Margareta Niculescu, whose contributions shaped European puppetry history.
Winds of Solidarity: A Heartfelt Closing Ceremony and Puppet Performance for Brazil
The closing ceremony was the crowning jewel of the project. As UNIMA PC is a community-focused initiative, Presidents of UNIMA’s Humanitas and Cooperation Commissions, Ms. Kata Csato and Ms. Salma Mohseni, held an online meeting with members of ABTB UNIMA Brazil, who have faced devastating consequences from natural disasters in Rio Grande do Sul. We heard heartfelt testimonies from our puppet colleagues and expressed our solidarity, with calls for continued support and donations for rebuilding efforts.
A children’s workshop held daily, under the theme “Winds at Our Backs,” used puppetry to foster solidarity and extend a hand of friendship to our Brazilian colleagues. The final result of the workshop was a powerful 15-minute non-verbal theater performance, conveying the importance of standing together in times of need. Led by amazing and talented artists Marian Josipovic and Nikolina Odobasic from the Croatian theater and visual arts company Susret, workshop perfectly encapsulated the essence of UNIMA PC’s mission. This deeply moving gesture touched the audience and brought many to tears, earning the Grand Prix of our hearts.
Special thanks to Mr. Hemaidi Zougui Mohamed from UNIMA Algeria, the Board of UNIMA International, President Ms. Karen Smith, Vice President Mr. Tito Lorefice and Ms. Cariad Astles, Mr. Dimitri Jageneau, and the Presidents of the UNIMA Festival, Humanitas, and Cooperation Commissions—Ms. Louise Lapointe, Ms. Kata Csato, and Ms. Salma Mohseni—for supporting this project and joining us in this meaningful celebrations.
We hope this year’s edition of the UNIMA PC project will inspire other UNIMA members to initiate similar collaborative efforts in their countries, inviting others to join in harnessing the collective power of puppetry for the greater good.