This summer has been bursting with puppetry — giant figures striding through city centres, festivals filling streets with stories, and announcements rolling in from across the puppetry world. And there’s still more to come: spectacular autumn festivals, brand new opportunities, and some extraordinary exhibitions.
At the very top — the 10ft puppets of Ancient Giants by Inspirate are opening The Full Shebang Festival in Mansfield this week, colliding South Asian mythology with martial arts and large-scale puppetry. Elsewhere, Preston’s Encounter Festival is turning ten with its own parade puppet of Arthur Wharton, Bournemouth will glow with giant jellyfish and a moving wheel parade, and Ards Puppet Festival promises animal-inspired adventures for the Halloween holidays.
It’s been a busy season of celebrations — the British Puppet Guild’s centenary, the evolution of Puppet Place 48 with new sponsorship and awards from BrUNIMA and the Guild, and the promise of fresh British UNIMA member events and screenings coming soon. And alongside, there’s a packed month of workshops, a world of opportunities, and a new podcast Under the Puppet episode to enjoy.
Here’s what you’ll find inside this newsletter:
🎓 Workshops (online & in person)
🎭 Exhibitions in Rennes & Vitré
🌟 Opportunities (Puppet Place 48, Skipton, Tunbridge Wells)
🎧 Podcast feature
🎪 Festival highlights & giant puppets
and more…
🎓 Workshops Coming Up
The new school year means a fresh slate of workshops, both online and in person. This month you can enjoy Extreme Puppetry with Blind Summit, table top people puppets with Judith Hope, shadow mechanisms, automata tinkering, Lambe Lambe theatre, family shows, and more…
👉 See the full collated list of September workshops
🎭 Exhibitions
The Journey of the Puppet: From Brno to Rennes
5–8 November 2025 | Lillico – Salle Guy Ropartz, Rennes
Step inside the magical world of Czech puppetry, a UNESCO treasure, and celebrate 60 years of Rennes–Brno friendship with Radost Theatre. Puppets, sketches, workshops, and guided tours bring this living tradition to life.
(Free entry, ages 8+)
Puppets, Stories, and Spirit from Around the World
On now until 2 November 2025 | Maison des Cultures du Monde, Vitré
From Indonesian shadow figures to Vietnamese water puppets and Bolivian carnival spirits — this exhibition goes beyond display into ritual, resistance, and play.
(Free entry)
🌟 Opportunities
Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival — Festival Director Call-Out
Apply by 30 September 2025
The much-loved biennial festival is seeking a passionate, creative Festival Director to lead it into its next exciting chapter. With a focus on world-class puppetry and community engagement, this part-time, flexible role (freelance fee) is an opportunity to shape the future of puppetry in Tunbridge Wells.
👉 Apply with CV & expression of interest: alisontwpf@gmail.com
Puppet Place 48 — with British UNIMA International Award
12–14 September (Challenge Weekend) · 19 October (Finale)
Create a brand new puppet film in just 48 hours! This year British UNIMA sponsors the International Award, celebrating puppetry voices across borders. With additional prizes including the Inclusive Puppetry Alliance Award, there’s space for everyone.
Artist Call-Out: Beverley Puppet Festival 2026 ✨
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news from our friends at Beverley Puppet Festival 🎭
They are currently working on the 12th edition of the festival, which they hope to present (funding dependent) from Friday 17 – Sunday 19 July 2026.
The Beverley Puppet Festival is a much-loved celebration of puppetry in all its forms — and this is your chance to be part of it!
Skipton International Puppetry Symposium 2025 — Booking Open!!
17–18 October 2025 | Skipton Town Hall, North Yorkshire
Two packed days of panels, workshops, networking, and celebrations.
The 2026 touring list is live and growing. Submit your show or see what’s happening across the UK. Browse it by genre and type, view them all here!
Want to be listed? Email hollylikespuppets@gmail.com
🎧 Listen
Under the Puppet Podcast — Jeanne Lauren
Creature-shop artist on Return of the Jedi, puppet designer at Skyana, and biker cameo in Howard the Duck.
👉 Listen here
🎪 Festivals This Autumn
First Art — The Full Shebang Festival — East Midlands, UK | 6 Sept
Catch the spectacular 10ft puppets of Ancient Giants by Inspirate, a dazzling mix of South Asian storytelling, martial arts, and large-scale puppetry. Alongside, catch circus, drumming, Aardman animation workshops, and moreEncounter Festival — Preston, UK | 20–21 Sept
A tenth anniversary celebration of outdoor arts with puppetry at its heart — look out for the giant Arthur Wharton parade puppet leading the Torchlight Procession, alongside Inspirate’s Ancient Giants, live music, dance, and a fireworks finale.Arts by the Sea — Bournemouth, UK | 26–28 Sept
This year’s theme We Are Here brings a bold line-up of music, circus, walkabout theatre, and light installations — from giant glowing jellyfish to Parade: The Giant Wheel, a moving spectacle of community and performance.UNIMA International @ World Festival of Puppet Theatres — Charleville-Mézières, France | 21–27 Sept
Gatherings, talks, and convivial evenings for puppeteers worldwide — including the launch of UNIMAGAZINE, international aperitifs, and discussions on collaboration and women in puppetry.Ards Puppet Festival — Northern Ireland | 26–27 Oct
A family-friendly Halloween alternative: puppet shows, making workshops, and animal-inspired adventures. The full programme drops 18 Sept — expect top international companies and plenty of hands-on fun at Ards Arts Centre.
View the full list of festivals coming up and to apply for here
That’s plenty of news for now — from workshops and festivals to exhibitions and opportunities, I hope there’s something here to spark your imagination.
If you have an event, exhibition, or story you’d like featured in the next newsletter, do let me know. This space works best when it carries all our voices.
Holly