ABOUT THE FESTIVAL, ITS HISTORY AND IDEA

The International Festival of Puppetry Schools PUPPETNOPUPPET is one of the most durable academic and cultural traditions in Poland: it has been held in Białystok every two years since 2002. In 2022, we will celebrate a double jubilee: the 10th edition of the event on the 20th anniversary of its establishment (due to the pandemic, the festival was not held in 2020). The festival is organized in the only one Polish city associated with the Association des Villes Amies de la Marionnette (the so-called Union of Puppetry Cities) and one of the two – next to Wrocław – Polish cities where professional creators of the puppetry theatre are educated.

The jubilee edition is the crowning achievement of two decades of academic and cultural tradition.

However, we still strive for making the event an open space for inspiration and experiment. Therefore, the idiom of the 2022 Festival is labōrATōrium, referring to the Latin ‘workshop’, to the universal consonance for various languages and to the imagination as the universal work tool of theatre creators around the world. In this idiom, we want to express the constant striving to discover new meanings in the theatre space and emphasize the research, scientific dimension of the event, less obvious to many recipients.

The jubilee edition of the International Festival of Puppetry Schools PUPPETNOPUPPET will take place in Białystok on June 21-25, 2022. It is organized by The Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw – Branch Campus in Białystok, together with the Białystok Puppeteers Association and the Białystok Puppet Theatre. The Festival traditionally presents performances in two streams: professional and student.

Prof. Marta Rau, Vice-Rector of the Academy, Art Director of the Festival:

I would like this jubilee event to reflect on the place of puppet theatre in the current reality and give the opportunity to enjoy creativity in the most beautiful, in my opinion, art field. Let’s be the creators of this Festival together!

Each theatre school can submit two proposals:

  • performance that is a completed theatrical work (no longer than 90 minutes),
  • additional presentation: etude, presentation of educational methods or other forms of public show (laboratory, work in progress), duration 5-60 minutes.

We ensure, among others:

  • remuneration: PLN 5000 gross for festival presentations (2 forms)[1],
  • free admission to all Festival performances and other events according to the program,
  • accommodation in hotels in the centre of Białystok (parking included),
  • lunches in two options: vegan and traditional.

Each school completes and submits the application form (attached templates) and sends it by February 28, 2022 at the latest to the address: festival@e-at.edu.pl.

All proposals will be considered by the Festival Scientific Committee:

  • Marta Rau – Vice-Rector of the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw Branch – Campus in Białystok
  • dr Karol Suszczyński – president of Białystok Puppeteers Associations
  • dr hab. Jacek Malinowski – director of Białystok Puppet Theatre, president of POLUNIMA
  • dr Bernarda Bielenia – board member of POLUNIMA
  • dr hab. Artur Dwulit – dean of the Academy
  • dr Mateusz Smaczny – pedagogue of the Academy
  • dr Jacek Dojlidko – pedagogue of the Academy
  • dr Łucja Grzeszczyk – pedagogue of the Academy
  • Tymoteusz Sarosiek – student of the Academy.

Poster designed by Prof. Andrzej Dworakowski

[1] * financial settlement on the basis of an agreement between universities/organisations, payable after issuing an invoice