UNIMA INTERNATIONAL
Preparing for World Puppetry Day 2026: March 21st
World Puppetry Day · 21 March 2026 · Worldwide
21 March 2026 is just around the corner — and UNIMA International is getting ready to make it a truly special day.
Every year on 21 March, puppeteers, companies, schools, and audiences across the world come together to mark the World Puppetry Day — a tradition launched by UNIMA in 2003 that has grown into one of the most important dates in the international puppetry calendar. This year marks a new chapter: for the first time, UNIMA International has organised two major events to bring the global puppetry community together in real time.
The Keynote Lecture Broadcast
Paris, décembre 2017 © Cie Sogolon
On 21 March 2026 at 15:00 CET, UNIMA International will host its very first keynote puppetry lecture — a unique moment for World Puppetry Day. Delivered live from Charleville-Mézières, the headquarters of UNIMA International, the lecture will be broadcast online worldwide, free and open to all.
The invited speaker is Yaya Coulibaly — the great Malian puppet master, guardian of a centuries-old tradition and one of the most respected figures in world puppetry today. His lecture will open a window onto his art, his vision, and the enduring power of puppetry as a universal language.
📅 21 March 2026 — 15:00 CET
📍 Live from Charleville-Mézières | 💻 Free online broadcast📎 Join us on the UNIMA YouTube channel
This keynote lecture inaugurates a new annual tradition: each year, UNIMA’s invited personality for World Puppetry Day will share their vision with the global community — not only through a poster and message, but through a living, shared moment of encounter.
The UNIMA Friendship Café — Open All Day
Alongside the keynote, UNIMA is opening the doors of the UNIMA Friendship Café — a virtual meeting space on Zoom that will remain open for 24 hours on 21 March. Whether you are a puppeteer, a student, a festival organiser, or simply someone who loves the art, you are warmly invited to drop in at any point during the day.
No agenda, no registration required. Come as you are, stay as long as you like, and connect with fellow puppeteers from around the world — sharing stories, showing your celebrations, and being part of the global community.
At certain times, UNIMA commissions or leaders will be present. If you are a National Centre, you can also join and reserve a time for your own meeting.
The only time the Café will be closed is at 3:00 PM CET, when the lecture by Yaya Coulibaly will be streamed from Charleville-Mézières on the UNIMA YouTube channel.
☕ Open 24 hours — 21 March 2026
💻 Via Zoom — no registration needed
🔄 More sessions will be added — check back regularly! To reserve a session as National Centre, write to: info@unima.org
📎 JOIN THE CAFÉ: Click here for the Zoom link
Throughout the day, members of the UNIMA Executive Committee and representatives of UNIMA Commissions will be present at the Café, giving everyone the chance to meet, ask questions, and engage directly with the heart of the international organisation. The confirmed hours so far:
🔄 More sessions will be added — check UNIMA WPD page regularly for updates as we get closer to 21 March.
Marked With Solidarity
As we mark World Puppetry Day, we hold in our hearts those who cannot join us. In Gaza, a small group of puppeteers continues to create art among the ruins, keeping alive the hope and memory of their people. Today, these artists and their families urgently need our support to survive. Solidarity is at the core of what UNIMA stands for.
Screenings of three films about Mahdi Karira, a puppeteer in Gaza, are being organized around the world.
Make sure to check the page below for more information:
Visiting France?
If you plan to travel to the home of UNIMA International for World Puppetry Day, a full programme of live activities awaits you — shows, workshops, exhibitions, and special moments with Yaya Coulibaly across the Grand Est region.
📅 18–26 March 2026 | 🇫🇷 Charleville-Mézières, Ardennes & Reims, Grand Est
🎭 See the full programme
🎭 Download the official poster, translate it into your language, use the social media frame and tags — and help spread the word! Follow the World Puppetry Day page for all resources:
www.unima.org — World Puppetry Day
Source: UNIMA International · www.unima.org