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Welcome
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Welcome to Silkeborg Puppet Theatre Festival:Festival of Wonder 2009
We recognize the 20th anniversary of the fall of the
Berlin wall by focusing on European puppet theatre. The
theme is live music in puppetry.
A festival is a meeting place. The audience, the professional artists and performers, guests from near and far meet because of a common passion. At Festival of Wonder the passion is puppetry. What makes puppetry so special? That is difficult to answer and must be experienced first hand. It is about telling an interesting story, and if the story is told using puppets instead of live actors, there must be good reason for that choice. There are many reasons to choose puppets. They are able to do so much that humans cannot do. A puppet can transform itself in a split second, it is not tied down by gravity, and a puppet exudes a completely unique form of expression, just to mention a few of a puppet’s magical attractions. I have often been in the position of convincing a person who has not seen a puppet performance since childhood, that this is a fantastic form of theatre. Usually I fail. But when that same person has experienced the wonder of puppetry, he or she is finally convinced. Puppetry is something special, which is why Silkeborg Puppet Festival is also called Festival of Wonder. You will have the opportunity to see many wonders. We are pleased to be able to offer a cornucopia of performances, shows for children of all ages as well as many plays for adults. There will be 116 performances during the festival, including theatres from Denmark, Spain, France, Holland, Germany (with 3 theatres), Russia, Italy, Sweden, and Czech Republic (also 3 theatres). You will witness the odd characters in Theatre Forman Brothers’ performance Obludarium, shown in their own beautiful building. Hitler’s final days in the bunker is portrayed with horror and humor in Stuffed Puppettheatre’s Schickelgruber, alias Adolf Hitler. You will experience bizarre puppets in Theatre Wilde and Vogel’s performance Spleen. I could continue telling about the many highlights from the Danish and international theatres coming to Silkeborg in 2009. Take a look at the extensive program and choose your own performances. I know that you and all the others you meet will experience the wonder. A very warm thank you to all who make this festival possible. We will see you in Silkeborg! On behalf of the organizing committee Ulla Dengsøe A stellar moment in good company
On behalf of Silkeborg’s town council, I am pleased to
welcome you to Silkeborg’s international puppet festival,
Festival of Wonder. It is always a joy to welcome so
many guests, the many participants and children of all
ages. The festival is one of our cultural highlights, a
stellar moment in good company and with many gems
of fantastic performances.
On behalf of the city I am proud that a festival of such a high artistic level is once again taking place. This is a festival that allows us to see our old favorites as well as new names in the wide assortment of performances being presented for us all. This year’s theme is ‘European puppetry 20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall’, which can sound both serious and festive. It brings back many memories and feelings and it makes us reflective. But that is exactly where the art of puppetry has much of its power. I am writing this the day after a visit to Berlin, where one is constantly reminded of the effect of the fall of the wall, not just the physical alterations after November 9, 1989, but also the mental changes and the effects of liberation, on the city and in the people. We are glad that the festival is also about music. But first and foremost this is a welcome opportunity to venture into the wonderful and magical world of the puppets. I want to send a warm thank you to our very skillful and creative organizers with Ulla Dengsøe at the helm, and to all of the many volunteers who make sure this will be a good experience. Jørn Rye Rasmussen |
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