“Let There Be Light”
Dates: September 21 (World Peace Day) to 25, 2024
Location: Mostar Puppet Theatre, Bosnia and Herzegovina
“Let There Be Light” is a puppetry collaboration that will take place in Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Mostar, at the Mostar Puppet Theater, from September 21 to 25, 2024, as part of the FLUM International Puppet Art Festival, in association with UNIMA PC (Puppetry Collaboratorium). This community event, coinciding with International Day of Peace on September 21, will highlight puppetry as a powerful medium for peace and unity.
The festival opens on International Day of Peace with a ceremony, featuring speeches by notable figures such as the CEO of the Mostar Puppet Theater, Mr. Edin Kmetas; UNIMA President, Ms. Karen Smith; UNESCO NGO Liaison Committee President, Mr. Nick Newland; UNIMA General Secretary, Mr. Dimitri Jageneau; UNIMA International Festival Commission President, Ms. Louise Lapointe; Ms. Salma Mohseni; Ms. Kata Csató, Presidents of the UNIMA Cooperation and Humanitas Commissions; Ms. Cariad Astles, Vice President of UNIMA and President of the UNIMA Research Commission; and Mr. Tito Lorefice, Vice President of UNIMA and President of the UNIMA Professional Training Commission.
The evening will also feature a special projection by Croatian artist Marin Cosic titled “TESLA – Let There Be Light,” along with the opening show Harms’ Fault! by Matija Solce of Teatro Matita from Slovenia.
Additionally, there will be a special exhibition opening featuring the photography of Mr. Richard Termine, focusing on the teaching work of Ms. Ines Pasic and other works created at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Curated by Ms. Jean Marie Keevins (UNIMA USA), artistic producer of the National Puppetry Conference, the exhibition explores the themes of peace and climate change, and is generously supported by the center.
A key event of the festival will be an international panel on Karagöz, an intangible cultural heritage under UNESCO protection that has historically influenced Bosnia and many other nations. Mr. Tito Lorefice, representing the UNIMA Professional Training Commission, will chair and host the panel. The upcoming invited presenters include esteemed guests from Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, among others from all continents. As part of this event, Dr. Nazlı Ümit and Mr. Enis Ergün, President of UNIMA Türkiye, will conduct a full-day workshop on Karagöz for UNIMA members.
Mr. Siavash Sattari, President of UNIMA Mobarak, Iran, will host a special workshop titled “Puppets on the Silk Road: Kheimeh Shab Bazi – Iranian Glove Puppets,” which explores the craft of Iranian glove puppetry.
Additionally, UNIMA’s 100-year journey and future will be discussed in a talk titled Behind the Curtains, with Ms. Nina Malikova and Ms. Irina Niculescu. This discussion will also cover the history of puppetry art, with Mr. Dimitri Jageneau, General Secretary of UNIMA, serving as moderator.
Throughout the week, attendees will be treated to a diverse range of performances from South Korea, Bosnia, Croatia, Spain, Estonia, Serbia, Romania, Slovenia, and Hungary. Beyond the performances, they’ll have the opportunity to explore the beautiful, historic city of Mostar—a place shaped by its complex past but filled with remarkable world heritage treasures like the UNESCO-listed Old Bridge.
A children’s community workshop, “Winds at Our Backs,” will also take place during the festival. This workshop, endorsed by the UNIMA Cooperation Commission and UNIMA Humanitas, led by Marijan Josipovic and Nikolina Odobasic from Croatian Theatre Company – Susret will emphasize the use of light and recyclable materials as a symbol of support for peace and climate preservation.
We will soon release registration links for our hybrid events, which will be available to all UNIMA members.
The Mostar Puppet Theater, UNIMA International, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and the UNESCO NGO Liaison Committee are proud to support this project. The event is expected to be a grand celebration of puppetry’s contribution to environmental awareness and international unity.
Visit the official FLUM and UNIMA PC websites for updates on the festival and more information on how to introduce UNIMA PC at your festival or in your national center. Join us in Mostar to experience the light of puppetry and its impact on the world!
