Frontline Puppetry is a podcast by UNIMA International that gives voice to puppeteers creating and living in contexts marked by political conflict, social unrest, war, or humanitarian crisis.

The project began with its first live-streamed conversation featuring Mr. Siavash Sattari, President of UNIMA Mobarak–Iran. In this inaugural exchange, Mr. Sattari shared insights into the unique power of puppetry to educate, inspire, and build 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 puppetry, objects, and animated forms as tools for expression, resistance, care, and connection. Their stories reveal how art survives, adapts, and responds in the most challenging circumstances.

Produced as part of the work of UNIMA’s Commission of Humanitas & Cooperation, Frontline Puppetry seeks to:

• Make visible the realities faced by puppeteers in vulnerable contexts
• Foster international solidarity and cooperation
• Build bridges between artists, institutions, and communities
• Raise awareness within the global UNIMA network and beyond

Each episode centers on a puppeteer’s personal journey: their artistic path, 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.

Frontline Puppetry invites you not only to hear these voices, but to stand with them—by sharing their stories and helping make their work possible.

Episodes

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