For the 4th consecutive year, AVIAMA is supporting puppeteers with the Puppet and Mobility Grants.

During the last General Assembly of AVIAMA in September 2021 in Charleville-Mézières, the Board of Directors re-elected for 3 years (2022 to 2024) the jury of the AVIAMA grants, composed of the cities of Tolosa (Spain), Tournefeuille (France), Pilsen (Czech Republic), the borough of Outremont (Quebec – Canada) and Mrs. Anne-Françoise Cabanis, former director of the Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes and qualified personality of AVIAMA.

The jury is the warrant of the orientations chosen by the member cities of AVIAMA: to support artists and projects which, thanks to the puppet, bring answers in terms of valorisation of the cultural heritage, of integration of the digital and the innovation, of educational project or of social integration.

5 selected projects

In 2022, AVIAMA received 20 applications from puppeteers and researchers from Spain, France, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Ukraine, Canada and Mali. The jury, headed by Mrs. Olatz Peon Ormazabal, Mayor of the city of Tolosa, selected 5 winning projects that will receive an AVIAMA grant of 2000 € to carry out their project.

Wrist puppets – by Vitaly and Karina Golub (Ukraine)

Mobility aid Ukraine – France – Spain and heritage preservation, to introduce and prevent the disappearance of Zakharov’s puppets through workshops and using 3D scanning tools.  Given the current context, this scholarship will be reserved for Ukrainian artists, until they can resume their activity. .

Tour of women puppeteers – carried by the compagnie Nama (Mali)

Mobility support for a regional tour in the Segou region of Mali for young female artists to enable them to become professional in the field of puppetry.

How I transformed myself – by the artist Marina Simonova (France –Russie)

Mobility aid to accompany the 1st creation of this young artist graduated from ESNAM (France). The grant will allow her to work in Norway at the Figurteatrer i Nordland Theatre.

City of Lights – proposed by the Teatr Lalek Guliwer (Pologne)

/ Mobility aid to set up an artistic creation co-built with the inhabitants of a city. Mobility aid to mount an artistic creation co-built with the inhabitants of a city. A first experience for Aviama cities will be carried out in Tolosa and premiered during the next Titirijai 2022 festival on its 40th anniversary.

A fifth grant of €2,000 is reserved for an Afghan puppeteer. More information on the winner to come.

In their choice, the members of the jury emphasised certain selection criteria:

  • The desire to help young companies or artists in their artistic process and their professionalization.
  • Projects directly linked to the AVIAMA cities; the network of AVIAMA cities, allowing artists to develop their contacts.
  • Relevant and high quality dossiers that reflect a broad aspect of the puppet arts, and that highlight solidarity between peoples, the sharing of knowledge and know-how, ecology, education and the place given to women in our society.

Our best wishes to the grant holders and the success of their project: thank you to all the candidates who applied this year!

Copyright photo article : Teatr Lalek Guliwer / Bartek Warzecha

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