UNIMA

UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionnette) is a non-governmental international organisation dedicated to uniting people from around the world who contribute to the ongoing development of puppetry as an art form.

UNIMA aims to use puppetry as a vehicle to promote human values such as peace and mutual understanding between people regardless of race, culture, political or religious convictions in accordance with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

UNIMA was formed in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1929 by an enthusiastic group of representatives from 14 countries. In 1959, UNIMA joined the International Theatre Institute and in 1960 they became an official consultant for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Today, UNIMA is celebrated as the oldest theatrical association in the world. There are currently 65 national UNIMA centres world-wide with active members from each country. The Australian Centre of UNIMA was founded in 1970.

UNIMA organises an international congress every four years, produces publications, disseminates scholarly and practicable research, and facilitates international exchange. The 20th UNIMA Congress will be the first UNIMA Congress held in the Southern Hemisphere and only the third outside Europe.

In 2008, UNIMA will publish the World Wide Encyclopaedia of Puppetry Arts – an in-depth publication exploring the history of traditional and contemporary puppetry from around the world.

For more information about UNIMA please visit the official UNIMA website or the UNIMA Australia website.