Prague – the capital city of the puppeteer world

In the Heart of Puppetry - For lovers of art and theatre, and especially puppet theatre In the centre of Prague, in the centre of its Old Town, between the Old Jewish Cemetery and Clementinum with the National Library, between Old Town Square and Jan Palach Square with the Rudolfinum, the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, near Pařížská třída (Paris Avenue) with the most luxurious shops, and also only a few steps away from where Franz Kafka was born, and also right at the Staroměstská (Old Town) metro station, you can find Žatecká Street No. 1, and at this address in the beautiful interior areas of the Říše loutek (the Kingdom of Puppets) built in the art deco style in 1928, is located the National Marionette Theatre – the Czech Puppeteers’ Centre, your host.
It is precisely here – in the most established and traditional heart of Czech and Prague puppetry, where the season is not over with the coming of autumn – that for the residents of Prague as well as special guests of Prague, throughout the entire winter until spring, in addition to the continuous operation of the theatre (with the hit puppet performance of the opera Don Giovanni by W. A. Mozart, which has had more than 5,000 performances since 1991!), a new day-long programme Prague – the capital city of the puppeteer world awaits and offers a wide range of events and exhibits for families, both adults and children:

1/ A guided tour of unique theatre areas built in the art deco style in 1928 with original stage technology, authentic interiors and sets of historic and contemporary puppets; along with commentary on the founding of today’s largest professional theatre organization in the world – UNIMA (International Puppetry Association) – founded right here on 20/5/1929 (a plaque commemorating this cultural event decorates the entrance to the theatre), which makes this place the Mecca of the puppetry world.
2/ An exhibition, thematically focusing on the history of Prague puppetry (the founding of UNIMA in this theatre, the history of the Artistic Sets of the Kingdom of Puppets, the history of the National Marionette Theatre, and documentation of its participation in international festivals and cultural programmes such as National Day of the Czech Republic and Prague Days at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, etc.), which is enriched with sets of historic marionettes and the masterful work of contemporary creators of puppets, samples of scenery, props, instruments for theatrical effects, period theatre literature, etc.

3/ Workshops that bring to life various types of puppets, creative-action activities, improvisation, the basics of animation, and a demonstration of puppet making (in the renewed Workshop of Master Vojtěch Sucharda). More