World Puppetry Day (WPD) is annually observed on 21 March worldwide to promote and honour the ancient art of puppetry as an educational tool and global art form and recognise puppeteers from across the globe.
- The theme of the WPD 2025 is, “Robots, AI, and the Dream of the Puppet?“
The annual observance of the WPD is led by the oldest international theatre organisation in the world, UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionnette), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) affiliated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Background:
i.World Puppetry Day was launched in 2003 by the UNIMA, for uniting puppetry artists globally.
ii.The first-ever World Puppetry Day was observed on 21 March 2003.
Note: WPD is now observed worldwide through UNIMA’s National Centres and members.
What is Puppetry?
i.Puppetry is an ancient art form of storytelling where figures, called puppets, are manipulated to enact a narrative.
ii.A person who animates or manipulates a puppet is called a puppeteer. Different types of puppetries include String Puppets (Marionettes), Shadow Puppets, Glove Puppets, Rod Puppets, etc.
Key Points:
i.The root of “Puppet” is derived from the Latin word ‘Pupa’ meaning a doll.
ii.India is said to be the home of puppets, and the earliest reference to the art of puppetry is found in the Tamil classic ‘Silappadikaaram’ written by Ilango Adigal around the 1st or 2nd century B.C.
Puppet Techniques Proclaimed by UNESCO:
i.Several puppet techniques have been inscribed on UNESCO’s:
- Representative Lists of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
- Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
- Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.
1.Representative Lists of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity: Sri Lanka’s Rūkada Nātya, traditional string puppet drama in Sri Lanka (2018); Indonesia’s The Wayang Puppet Theatre (2003); Japan’s Ningyo Johruri Bunraku Puppet Theatre (2003).
2.Representative Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Spain’s Festivity of ‘la Mare de Déu de la Salut’ of Algemesí (2011); Indonesia’s Indonesian Batik (2009); and Japan’s Nôgaku theatre (2008).
3.Programs, projects, and activities aimed at safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage: China’s Strategy for training coming generations of Fujian puppetry practitioners (2012).
About the UNion Internationale de la MArionnette (UNIMA):
President– Karen Smith
Headquarters– Charleville-Mézières, France
Established– 20 May 1929
