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π° SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWSLETTER
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Message from the President and the General Secretary
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Dear Members,
The 2026–2027 season promises to be an exciting one for UNIMA! We are taking this opportunity to highlight the many activities currently underway, as well as the Extraordinary Council/Congress taking place next March. This gathering will give us the opportunity to come together from all corners of the world, showcase the remarkable work of the Commissions, and vote on our new Statutes.
We look forward to seeing many of you there! We also invite the National Centres to contribute to the Representation Fund, which will help support the online participation of International Councillors who are unable to travel to Montréal.
Together, let us unite our hearts and ambitions to advance the art of puppetry and further the reach and visibility of UNIMA!
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Louise Lapointe & Fabrizio Montecchi
President & General Secretary
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News
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Training & Research and Africa Commissions
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Pro-Vocation: Roots and Wings – Abidjan
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12–21 November 2026 | π Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
UNIMA’s Professional Training and Research Commission and Africa Commission invite you to Abidjan for an intensive programme combining the Pro-Vocation Conference with the RIMA Festival, bringing together puppetry artists, educators and cultural leaders from Africa and around the world.
Keynote addresses by Werewere-Liking Gnepo, Fabrizio Montecchi and Amos Fergombé, alongside roundtables, practical workshops and networking, followed by performances and Ivorian puppetry at the RIMA Festival.
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π Important for UNIMA members: the programme also includes the UNIMA Executive Committee Meeting, 14–16 November
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UNIMA Council 2027 – Early Bird & Hotel
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2–6 March 2027
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π¦ Early Bird available until 30 November 2026
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With a mandate from UNIMA Canada and in collaboration with the International Festival of Casteliers, the AQM – association québécoise des marionnettistes – is preparing this global gathering, bringing together councillors, artists, researchers, educators, cultural professionals and puppetry practitioners for a week of dialogue, collaboration and celebration.
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π¨ UNIMA Canada has negotiated a special rate with a partner hotel conveniently located near the Council’s main venues – register on time to secure your spot.
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π€ Digital Representation Fund
UNIMA is launching a wide-ranging appeal for donations to help ensure that as many National Centre Councillors as possible can be represented at the 2027 Council in Montréal. Donations received through the Digital Representation Fund will be redistributed among eligible National Centres based on the total amount raised.
Your contribution will help ensure diversity and participation from as many countries as possible at this important event.
Applications for National Centres wishing to apply for funding will open soon.
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π Click the button below, then scroll down the page to the PayPal donation link.
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Buy an Advertising Space in UNIMAGAZINE n°2!
UNIMAGAZINE No. 2 will feature around 100 pages in English with nearly 30 articles by authors, researchers and creators from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe – available in early March 2027 as a free digital edition and in print, with your ad appearing in both versions.
Advertising is open, as a priority, to members of the UNIMA community, to promote theatre programmes, festivals, exhibitions, events and publications.
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Where Is Europe Heading?
A new series of talks on cultural policy in Europe, organised, curated and moderated by the UNIMA Europe Commission – opening a space for UNIMA to engage in the debates shaping the future of culture on the continent, and introducing funding lines and networks that can support members’ own projects.
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Upcoming Meetings:
Wed 21 Oct, 17:00–18:00 CEST – On the Move: Cultural Mobility Flows, with Marie Le Sourd (Secretary General, On the Move).
Wed 25 Nov, 17:00–18:00 CET – IETM & Perform Europe, with Ása Richardsdóttir (IETM Secretary General & Perform Europe Chair).
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More information will be available soon.
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Dear UNIMA: Share Your Story for UNIMA’s Heritage
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Deadline: 1 October 2028
The UNIMA International Heritage Commission invites all members to share a memory, experience or moment connected with UNIMA, helping build a collective record of the organization’s history as it approaches its 100th anniversary.
All UNIMA members are invited to share their story through the participation forms provided for this initiative.
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Online Events
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Exhibiting Puppets: New Perspectives from Museums, Heritage and Contemporary Practice
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11 October 2026 | 15:00 UTC / 17:00 CEST | English | Online – Via Zoom
UNIMA invites you to this webinar bringing together four international perspectives on preserving and presenting puppet collections, and on how museums can reconnect exhibited puppets with the living practices and communities behind them.
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π€ Speakers:
Tan Zhi Yan (Malaysia) · Liu Hsiu-Tsen (Taiwan) · Lilla Lovas (Hungary) · John Parkinson (UK)
Moderator: Dmitri Carter
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The Futures of … Sustainability
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22 October 2026 | 1:30–3:30 pm CEST | English & French | Online – Via Zoom
The UNIMA International Futures Commission invites puppeteers, cultural workers and everyone curious about the future of our art form to an open discussion on what it means to sustain puppetry in all senses of the word—from climate change and inclusion to cross-cultural exchange.
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π€ Speakers:
Staffan Björklund (Sweden) · Georgui Tenev (Bulgaria) · Pierre Gosselin (France) · Terence Tan (Singapore) · Shoshana Bass (USA)
Moderator: Mareike Gaubitz (Germany)
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Observatory of Puppet and Object Festivals in Latin America
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16 November 2026 | 17:00 (Argentina/Brazil) – 14:00 (Mexico) | Spanish | Online - Via zoom
The UNIMA Latin America Commission invites you to the presentation of the Observatory, a new initiative to map, document and share knowledge on the role of puppet and object festivals across the region’s cultural, artistic and social ecosystems.
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Presenter: Mónica Berman (UNIMA Argentina) · Moderator: Omar Álvarez
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Heritage Dialogues: Opera dei Pupi
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14 December 2026 | 13:00 CET | Italian, with subtitles | YouTube Premiere
The UNIMA International Heritage Commission launches a new series exploring UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage nomination process for puppetry traditions, drawing on the experience of countries already inscribed to share practical insights and encourage international exchange.
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Open Calls
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Applied Puppetry Commission
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Call for Research Contributions on Puppetry and Support in Crisis Contexts
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Submission deadline: 1 January 2027
UNIMA’s Crisis Support Working Group invites members to contribute research, testimonials, and visual or archival materials exploring applied puppetry as a psychosocial practice in contexts of conflict, displacement and crisis, for a publication planned for the 25th UNIMA Congress in 2029. Contributors may remain anonymous or use a pseudonym.
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Critical Stages / Scènes Critiques
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Call for Papers — Reminder!
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Abstract submission deadline: 30 November 2026
Critical Stages/Scènes Critiques invites submissions for a special issue on Puppetry and the Animated Object, welcoming new perspectives and critical approaches from researchers, artists, practitioners and scholars.
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Open Call for La Hoja Titiritera
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Submission deadline: 15 October 2026
The UNIMA Latin America Commission invites artists, professionals and researchers to submit original, unpublished texts for the fourth issue of La Hoja Titiritera, a digital publication on puppetry research and practice, to be released in December 2026.
With this new issue, La Hoja Titiritera seeks to continue strengthening ties among members of the puppetry community, fostering the circulation of experiences, research, and knowledge between Latin America and other parts of the world.
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International Festivals Commission
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Call for Festivals: Festival Passports 2027 Programme
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Applications now open
The UNIMA International Festivals Commission invites puppet theatre festivals worldwide to join Festival Passports 2027, supporting the mobility of young artists and artists in emergency situations. Host festivals offer selected artists free tickets and accommodation; applicants must also be listed in the Official UNIMA Festival Directory.
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Asia-Pacific Roundtables on Living Puppetry Heritage
π£ Deadline extended: 30 September 2026
There’s still time to join the Asia-Pacific Roundtables on Living Puppetry Heritage – share your experiences, practices and perspectives in this exchange dedicated to safeguarding and celebrating living puppetry heritage across the region.
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π Urgent Appeal: Emergency Aid Fund
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Humanitas & Cooperation Commission
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Puppeteers in Crisis Need Your Help
UNIMA International is urgently calling for donations to support puppeteers affected by recent earthquakes in Colombia and by floods and typhoons across South and Eastern Asia, who have lost puppets, equipment and workspaces.
Your gift to the UNIMA Emergency Aid Fund helps cover essential needs and rebuild artistic practice and heritage, coordinated by the Humanitas & Cooperation Commission under UNIMA’s Emergency Aid Charter.
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Humanitas & Cooperation Commission
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ποΈ Volunteer Video Editor Wanted – Frontline Puppetry Podcast
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. UNIMA Humanitas & Cooperation is looking for a volunteer with video editing skills to help bring these stories to a wider audience and lend their talent to a good cause.
Thank you to everyone who gives their time and skills for the good of others. π
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Explore WEPA
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Antonio Pasqualino International Puppet Museum
Founded in Palermo in 1975 by the Association for the Conservation of Folk Traditions, the Museum preserves and celebrates Sicilian puppet theatre – the Opera dei pupi – recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Housed in the historic ex Hotel de France, it combines a rich collection of puppets, scripts and artworks with an active theatre, library and the annual Festival di Morgana, connecting Sicilian tradition to puppetry traditions worldwide.
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π Publications Spotlight
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Puppetry International Magazine
Published by UNIMA-USA, Puppetry International explores puppetry and performing objects in all their forms, featuring peer-reviewed research, articles, reviews and experimental writing on traditional and contemporary practice – a leading platform for critical discourse and cross-cultural exchange in the global puppetry community.
The magazine reaches more than 2,000 puppet theatre performers, sponsors, producers and enthusiasts.
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π« Member Benefit · Since 1 Jan 2026
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Free Admission to Langzhong Ancient City
| Permanent free entry to Langzhong Ancient City & Tiangongyuan for all UNIMA members with a valid digital membership card. |
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Stay Connected with UNIMA
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Communications Commission
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Join UNIMA WhatsApp Community
Stay connected with UNIMA! Join our WhatsApp channel to receive announcements, news, and event updates directly on your phone.
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Communications Commission
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UNIMA on YouTube
Explore our channel for past webinars, festival highlights, and puppetry stories from around the world – all in one place.
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π‘οΈ Stay Safe Online — Do not open suspicious emails sent on behalf of UNIMA or its members. All official emails end with @unima.org. Questions? Contact info@unima.org
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"The more meetings there are, the more exchanges that take place between nations, the better individual relations are: collaboration, solidarity and comradeship are no longer empty words, but the foundations for a better understanding of human problems and a bringing together of nations." — Dr. JindΕich Veselý, 1932
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