The 29th International Festival of Puppetry Art is proud to present its new visual identity. The new design was selected through a competition won by Piotr Stala: a graduate of graphic design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice and Foundation in Art & Design at Ravensbourne University London, a laureate of the Polish Graphic Design Awards Honourable Mention.

Piotr Stala designed a new, distinctive colour palette for the festival, making sure that the colours bring unmistakable associations with the event.

"It is dominated by cobalt blue: this colour is associated with openness and accessibility, which are the characteristics of the festival. The beige elements evoke a sense of subduedness and paradoxical exclusivity, which are connected with the high artistic level of the festival. [...]

The logotype design was based on the symbolism of one of the basic gestures in puppet theatre. The graphic sign is meant to represent two faces. The main concept and inspiration behind it refer to the image of an actor or an actress standing just behind a puppet and bringing it to life with acting, creating a completely new character. The encounter of a puppet with a human is of key importance here: this symbiotic relationship implies that a puppet means much more than just a theatre prop.

Piotr Stala

The event was attended by 10 theaters from 7 countries around the world - the Czech Republic, France, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary and Poland. In total, 37 events were warmly welcomed by the audience, highly appreciated by the media and numerous observers from Poland and abroad.

7 theaters took part in the competition:

1. Théâtre de l'Entrouvert (France)

Traversées (Polish premiere)

2. Cie Belova-Iacobelli (Belgium)

Chaika (Polish premiere)

3. Divadlo Drak (Czech Republic)

White Fang

4. Sofie Krog Teater (Denmark)

The House (Polish premiere)

5. Zero en Conducta Company (Spain)

Mechanics of the Soul

6. Natalia Sakowicz (Poland)

Romance

7. Opole Puppet and Actor Theatre (Poland)

Big Deal

Out-of-competition shows:

Teatr Biuro Podróży (Poland)

Eurydice

Living Picture Visual Theatre (Hungary)

Women in red (Polish premiere)

Banialuka Puppet Theatre:

Dragons

Process

Mum's Hair

Theatre Academy A. Zelwerowicz in Warsaw Branch in Białystok (School Theater them. Jan Wilkowski) - presentation of etudes by students of puppet theater acting:

Mom

Clinic of recreation

Accompanying events:

Photo exhibition Bielsko-Biała festivals through the eyes of photographers of the Beskid Photographic Society.

Performative reading of the play (un) forgotten story of Michał Kaźmierczak awarded in the 33rd Edition of the Competition for theatrical art for children and youth directed by Filip Jaśkiewicz, combined with a discussion moderated by Joanna Żygowska from the Children's Art Center in Poznan.

Performative shows: Living Picture Visual Theater (Hungary)

Street Art Masters Living Statues (Poland)

Teatr Świat(ł)a (Poland)

Workshop:

Doll Connects Generations

Street Theater Art Workshops

In the land of shadows Doll Building Workshops

Master Workshops with Sofie Krog Teater

Concerts: Walimy w Kocioł

CudaWianki

The festival parade formed by the artists of the Banialuka Puppet Theater, organ grinder, stilt walkers, a collective of Street Art Masters Living Statues actors and performers, jugglers from Teatr Świat(ł)a and festival guests and spectators, led by the Walimy Percussion Group in Kocioł, on the first day of the festival, it walked along the streets of Bielsko-Biała from Plac Bolka and Lolka, through Galeria Sfera II (crossing the shopping center from the main entrance to the exit next to Empik), footbridge over Biała, promenade along Biała next to DH Klimczok, and then along 11 Listopada Street, along Wojska Polskiego Square and along Ratuszowa Street to the Town Hall Square.

Prizes awarded by a professional jury consisting of: Lucyna Kozień (theater critic, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Puppet Theater", Vice-president of the Polish Puppet Center POLUNIMA-Poland), Bożena Sawicka (theater scientist, cultural expert), Konrad Dworakowski (director, set designer, educator) received:

The Grand Prix and a statuette by Bronisław Krzysztof was won by Compagnie Belova-Iacobelli from Belgium for the performance of Chaika.

The Special Prize was awarded to the Zero en Conducta Company team from Spain for their ability to blur the boundaries between an actor and an animant in the production of Mechanics of the Soul.

The award is given by the Jury of Young Critics composed of: Iga Skolimowska (student of theatre studies of the A. Zelwerowicz Theatre Academy in Warsaw), Karolina Kosieradzka (student of theatre studies at the A. Zelwerowicz Theatre Academy in Warsaw), Katarzyna Pawlicka (student of theatre studies at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań), for the multitude of theater languages ​​and techniques and an introduction to a deep theatrical experience went to Théâtre de l'Entrouvert from France for their production of Traversées.

Extra-statutory prizes:

Honorary diploma of the Polish Puppet Center POLUMINA - for Zero en Conducta Company (Spain) for the masterful form of animation in the production of Mechanics of the Soul.

Honorary Prize awarded by the Jury composed of: Ewa Piotrowska, Bernarda Bielenia, Lucyna Kozień Acting Award of the ZASP im. Jerzy Zitzman - for Tita Iacobelli (Compagne Belova - Iacobelli, Belgium) for outstanding acting in the performance Chaika. Acting Prize awarded by the Jury: Henryka Korzycka - vice-president of STL ZASP - Association, Ewa Piotrowska - director, Barbara Rau - actress.

"In the modern global village, which is an outcome of the uniformity happening through media and corporations, we can still find a huge variety of phenomena, views, ideas, and systems of values, as well as methods of expressing them: an abundance of creative styles and techniques. The art of puppetry, making use of the unlimited opportunities offered by metaphors, visual means, and animation, can depict humans and their world in a unique and innovative way. The artists surprise the audiences with their novel approaches, ambience, and originality of their works. They draw from traditional techniques, experimenting with the co-existence of the actor and the puppet as equal stage partners, at the same time introducing modern visual techniques. Addressing their art to both children and adults, they present light-hearted motifs as well as existential subjects concerning the eternal questions about the purpose and meaning of life.

Due to the turbulences caused by the pandemic, the 29th edition of the International Festival of Puppetry Art was moved from 2020 to 2022. The situation also brought us to the decision about focusing on European artists only". 

Jacek Popławski

"The artists invited to present their performances explore the post-pandemic reality and ask questions about the changes in the world and the human condition. To what extent are we still formed by traditional values?

The relationship between the animator and the animated objects is used to show traumatic experiences of individuals, while the need for joy and unbound creativity is expressed through the element of play, the art of crafts, the theatrical tricks, and the surprising metamorphoses. In all of that, there is also room for provoking reflection on the presence of art in the modern world.

Even the performances created before 2020 are now perceived from the perspective of the experience of the pandemic, the migration crisis, and the war that takes place right across the Polish border. They present essential themes in which all the spectators can recognise their own fears, concerns, dreams, and longings".

Magdalena Legendź

The 29th International Festival of Puppetry Art was held under the honorary patronage of: the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, prof. dr hab. Piotr Gliński, the President of the City of Bielsko-Biała, Jarosław Klimaszewski, and under the patronage of the Polish Puppet Center POLUNIMA and the ZASP Association. The festival was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the City of Bielsko-Biała, the KGHM Foundation, the Liszt Institute - Hungarian Cultural Center in Warsaw under the Hungarian Presidency of the Visegrad Group, and the French Institute in Poland. Festival patrons: BANK PKO BP, AQUA; Strategic Partners: GALERIA SFERA, FCA POLAND; Main sponsor: POLMOTORS; Sponsors: NEMAK, REKORD, ANGA, CZW WĘGLOZBYT, KLINGSPOR, ZIAD SZYNDZIELNIA; Supporting company: CARBO ASECURA; Media partners: TEATR LALEK, TEATR, E-TEATR, TEATRALNY.PL, DZIENNIK TEATRALNY, RELACJE–INTERPRETACJE, TVP KATOWICE, RADIO KATOWICE, RADIO BIELSKO, KRONIKA BESKIDZKA, BESKIDZKA24.PL, BIELSKO.BIALA.PL.