#4 April News from Holly Likes Puppets
Workshops, Festivals & Unmissable Opportunities Await!
Hello,
Wow, it’s April already?! Time is flying, and there’s so much happening in the world of puppetry!
The biggest news this month is the launch of the brand-new BrUNIMA website! If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’re in for a treat. It’s packed with incredible insights from past notebooks, details on upcoming events, and a chance to meet the amazing team behind the British branch of UNIMA. Plus, Holly Likes Puppets is calling all artists, performers, and creators to submit their shows, exhibitions, and workshops for 2026. Let’s make it easier for promoters and producers to find and book your work!
If you love learning new skills and geeking out over puppetry techniques, you need to check out the latest workshops. Judith Hope’s sessions on shadow puppets and Worbla were mind-blowingly good, and if you haven’t taken one yet, add it to your list! Parker Puppetry & Animate Puppet Co have an exciting event coming up on 11 May that promises to be full of hands-on creativity. Over in Prague, the Puppet Recipes series continues with brilliant online carving techniques and controller design. And if you fancy an online class, the Center for Puppetry Arts is hosting brilliant sessions, including a Crankies Workshop on 7 March and an in-depth look at directing puppetry for film and TV on 10 June.
There are some fantastic opportunities this month, and you won’t want to miss them! The Handmade Puppet Dreams 48-Hour Film Project is back, giving puppetry filmmakers a chance to create something magical in record time. The Herds 2025 Project is offering FREE educational resources for educators and performers—perfect if you want to bring puppetry into the classroom or community. If you’re a puppeteer looking to take the stage, applications are open for the Newcastle Puppetry Festival 2026, so get those submissions in before 7 April! And for anyone interested in Modelmaking for Film and Animation, the application deadline for the National Film and Television School’s course is 24 April 2025—time to get that portfolio polished!
There are some truly unmissable exhibitions happening right now. If you’re a Wes Anderson fan, you’re in luck—his exhibition is currently in Paris until July before heading to London this autumn. Meanwhile, Londoners can walk through the wonderfully weird and whimsical world of Tim Burton at his exhibition, running until the end of May. Up north in Newcastle, the Moving Parts Festival is bringing the Toon Underground Parade Exhibition to life from 21 April, and it looks like a visual feast for puppet lovers.
April is shaping up to be an amazing month for puppetry on screen. The much-anticipated Otchi lands on Netflix on 25 April, and I’ve got a behind-the-scenes sneak peek to get you even more excited. Heather Henson’s Handmade Puppet Dreams has a stunning new production, Fantastic New Worlds, that promises to be a feast for the imagination. If you haven’t revisited The Dark Crystal lately, now’s the time—plus, I’ve got some behind-the-scenes photos from a past exhibition that will make you appreciate it even more. And if you love a good review, Bring Me Sunshine has been raving about an incredible new Netflix drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch and one particularly amazing puppet. Intrigued? You should be!
Festival season is kicking off, and there’s plenty to get excited about. The Moving Parts Arts Festival takes over Newcastle from 19–27 April, bringing a fantastic lineup of puppetry performances, workshops, and talks. If you’re heading to Spain, the Mostra Igualada Festival runs from 3–6 April and promises an incredible selection of theatre for young audiences. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for UNIMA-USA’s next Puppet Zoomie on 6 April—a brilliant discussion featuring top industry professionals sharing their insights on puppetry training.
📅 Mostra Igualada Festival – 3–6 April 2025
📅 UNIMA-USA Puppet Zoomie – 6 April 2025
📅 Moving Parts Arts Festival 2026 – Application Deadline – 7 April 2025
📅 Moving Parts Arts Festival 2025 – 19–27 April 2025
📅 Toon Underground Parade Exhibition – From 21 April 2025
📅 Model Making for Film & Animation Application Deadline – 24 April 2025
📅 Otchi on Netflix Release – 25 April 2025
📅 Parker Puppetry & Animate Puppet Co Workshop – 11 May 2025
📅 Directing for Puppetry for Film & TV Workshop – 10 June 2025
A huge thank you to all the subscribers—it's a joy to share my passion for this amazing and endangered art form with you. This month is bursting with exciting events, exhibitions, and opportunities, so I hope you enjoy these highlights!