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November 6 – 9, 2025: Hi PerformanCZ: Visitors’ Programme of Puppet Productions
Dramaturges, artistic directors, theatre educators and facilitators and other performing arts professionals are invited to take part in the Hi PerformanCZ: Visitors’ Programme of Puppet Productions. The programme will take place on November 6 – 9, 2025 in Prague in cooperation with the One Flew over the Pupeteer’s Nest festival organised by the Czech UNIMA Centre and Loutkář/Puppeteer Magazine.
The programme will also include an international colloquium Audience of Contemporary Puppet Theatre, focusing on the changes in contemporary puppetry in relation to the changes in its audience. Does the cliché that puppet theatre is a domain of creation for children still apply? Can contemporary puppet and object theatre appeal to adolescents and adults? Do you observe any changes in the audience’s demand for puppetry? Guests from several European countries (Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, France, Sweden, Germany, Croatia, etc.) accepted the invitation to the discussion. This event is co-organised by Research Institute of Alternative and Puppet Theatre and Theatre in Special-Needs Groups at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
Hi PerformanCZ: Visitors’ Programme has been established as an intensive multi-day platform for international theatre professionals who wish to explore Czech performing arts through performances, lectures, and discussions. The aim of the programme is to provide deeper insight into the current Czech performing arts scene, support international collaboration, and build professional connections between local and foreign stakeholders.
Free accommodation, tickets for local transport, shows and accompanying program will be provided for selected participants.
PROGRAM
Thursday, November 6
16:30 Meeting with the guests
17:30 Fras – Kawloon: The Largest House in the World (50 min, 8+), Alfred ve dvoře
19:00 Divadlo v Dlouhé – Golem (120 min, 12+), Divadlo v Dlouhé
Friday, November 7
11:30 Audience of Contemporary Puppet Theatre (colloquium, 180 min), Minor Theatre
The colloquium will focus on the changes in contemporary puppetry in relation to the changes in its audience. Does the cliché that puppet theatre is a domain of creation for children still apply? Can contemporary puppet and object theatre appeal to adolescents and adults? Do you observe any changes in the audience’s demand for puppetry?
Guests from several European countries (Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, France, Sweden, Germany, Croatia, etc.) accepted the invitation to the discussion.
Moderated by Kateřina Dolenská (chairwoman, Czech UNIMA Centre)
This event is co-organised by Research Institute of Alternative and Puppet Theatre and Theatre in Special-Needs Groups at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
16:00 KHWOSHCH, Gosteva, Dobrodinská – Shakespearean Puppet Mass (50 min, 18+), Alfred ve dvoře
17:00 Migač, Hermannová, Pichler – Loops and Hoops (45 min, 14+), Alfred ve dvoře
Saturday, November 8
11:00 Classic Fairy Tale – Cruel Relic or Living Source of Inspiration? (round table, 90 min), Minor Theatre
Children’s theatre repertoires often draw on classic fairy tales. For some, they are an essential part of cultural tradition and a rich source of dramatic situations, archetypal characters, and strong motifs. For others, they reflect outdated stereotypes that call for critical reflection and adaptation to today’s standards in creating work for children.
What role does cruelty play in fairy tales? What is its purpose? Is it an inseparable part of the genre, or do we now see it as unsuitable? These questions will serve as the starting point for a roundtable discussion.
Join the conversation with dramaturg Lenka Veverková, ethnologist Jaroslav Otčenášek, and fairy-tale therapist Martin Polínek.
Moderated by dramaturg Zuzana Sikačová.
Organised by ASSITEJ Czechia in cooperation with the One Flew Over the Puppeteer’s Nest festival.
16:00 Tmel – The Nest (50 min, 7+), Minor Theatre
19:30 ERIK Award Ceremony, Fekete Seretlek (90 min), Minor Theatre
Sunday, November 9
Individual program of guests at the One Flew Over the Puppeteer’s Nest festival
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any enquiries:
Veronika Nádeníčková
International Cooperation Department / PerformCzech
Czech Cultural Institute
E: veronika.nadenickova@idu.cz
Foto: Martin Špelda
