The Skipton International Puppetry Symposium 2025 will be staged at Skipton Town Hall and is funded by Arts Council England and led by North Yorkshire Council.
Puppeteers from across the UK and Europe will be gathering in North Yorkshire for a major event featuring workshops, discussions and public performances.
It takes place on Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18, with public performances during the symposium in the evenings and throughout Sunday, October 19.
It is the first event of its kind in the UK and its presence is fitting as the town is home to the Skipton International Puppet Festival, a biannual cornerstone of UK puppetry since 2005 and which is hoped will return again in 2027.
Entitled ‘Reconnect – Revision – Re-set’, those attending will explore the evolving landscape of puppetry following both Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union and the Covid-19 Pandemic through debates, workshops and panel discussions.
It will seek to address the challenges and opportunities in touring, funding, training, and international collaboration and will feature key sector organisations including the British Puppet Guild, which celebrates its centenary this year.
Also present will be Puppeteers UK, the Curious School of Puppetry, Lempen Puppet Theatre, The Puppet Centre, British Unima, Theatre Rites and the Punch and Judy Fellowship.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for arts and culture, Cllr Simon Myers, said:
“To stage the first ever symposium of its kind in North Yorkshire is a real coup.
“Arts and culture are hugely important and have a big role to play in the county, both in terms of the local economy and people’s mental health and wellbeing.
“I’d like to welcome all of those involved in the symposium and encourage residents and visitors to attend the public performances.”
Liz Lempen, from the Lempen Puppet Theatre, said she was excited about attending the symposium. They will be performing their new production, The Squabble, a sensory theatre experience aimed at young children between the ages of three and seven. She said:
“As a former organiser of Skipton Puppet Festival and as a touring company for 38 years, we are very aware of the challenges and needs of the puppet sector.
“At this difficult time, where both funding support and work are thin on the ground, it is increasingly hard for early-stage career artists to find their way and make a living.
“It is so important that artists and people working in the sector have the chance to gather, network and find strength and support within the puppet community.
“We hope that by bringing people together to network and share ideas for a stronger more resilient future for the puppet sector, the symposium will help to bring more unity, consensus and advocacy for the sector as a whole.”
Among the shows on offer is the UK premiere of Lemba by Spanish puppet theatre company Ángeles de Trapo.
Telling the story of a chimpanzee captured by poachers and used by a social media influencer to increase his followers, Lemba sets out on a daring journey to break free from captivity and find a place where she can start afresh and discover happiness.
The director and co-founder of Ángeles de Trapo, Wagner Gallo, said:
“This is a big moment for the town, because puppet theatre has a way of drawing in both adults and children.
“There’s something uniquely charming about puppets – and in a world glued to screens, nothing gives you the same buzz as sitting in a theatre and seeing them come to life.
“What could be better than heading out as a family to see a show together? It’s the sort of experience that stays with you.”
The other shows featured are Headstrung Theatre’s Puppet Cabaret, Professor Clive Chandler’s World Famous Punch and Judy Show, Life and Limb Puppets’ new production, At Sea, and Hickory Dickory Dock by Garlic Theatre.
On Sunday, Ay Up Puppet Company, Moving Parts Arts CIO, Rough Magic Theatre and Thingumajig Theatre will be staging six different shows at Skipton Amphitheatre repeated across the day.
For more information on the event, visit https://skiptontownhall.co.uk/puppetsymposium/.
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