Polish Puppet Theatre Festival in Opole

The Alojzy Smolka Opole Puppet Theatre is one of the most prolific puppet theatres in Poland. It is known in Poland for its biennial Polish Puppet Theatre Festival, which takes place in May and is the largest, oldest and most prestigious event on the puppet scene. The first edition of the festival was organised in 1962 by the creators of the National Opole Province Theatre’s Puppet Scene, headed by Alojzy Smolka, the creator of the Opole Puppet Theatre and its long-standing manager.
Its aim is to present and confront the work and achievements of the Polish puppet scene. The festival is a place where theatre troupes of all sizes, theatre staff and playwrights from across the country can meet. Many independent puppeteer groups have also been joining the festival over the recent years. The jury consists of major Polish puppet theatre founders, as well as actors and other artists, e.g. composers.
The festival also features sales by publishing houses, exhibitions, concerts, meet-the-author sessions and discussions for theatre critics, students, journalists, international observers, curators, puppet division managers and managers of other festivals.