50 Years of Fidena

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Fidena (Figurentheater der Nationen), this festival presented one of the oldest theatre forms in the world in its wide diversity from an international and contemporary context. Theatre groups and puppeteers from countries such as Japan, Turkey, France and Australia presented pieces of puppet, performing-object, hand-, shadow- and stick-puppet theatre. The pieces combined traditional performing methods with modern trends in the fine arts, dance and theatre, and thereby, appealed to both children and adults alike. The combination of classical puppet masters like the Japanese artist Hoichi Okamoto and genre-crossing artists like the dancer and choreographer Nicole Mossoux surely expanded the definition of the puppet art genre and provided audiences with insights into the interplay between humans and objects.

Artistic director: Annette Dabs
Participants: approximately 20 groups from puppet theatre and the puppet-related arts, including world premieres and 13 German premieres
Artists: Hoichi Okamoto (Japan), Dame de Pic (Belgium), Teater Refleksion (Denmark), Teatro Piccoli Principi (Italy), Théâtre en Ciel (France), Stuffed Puppet Theatre (The Netherlands) Théâtre de la Poudrière (Switzerland), Cie. Mossoux-Bonté (Belgium), Showcase Beat Le Mot (Germany), Hotel Modern (The Netherlands), Theater Waidspeicher (Germany), Giselle Vienne (France), LaLa (The Netherlands), La Pension du Gai Hasard (France / Australia), Theater Meschugge & Ilka Schönbein (France), Claus, Knecht & Großmann (Germany), Cie. Au Cul du Loup (France)

Venues and schedule:
Schauspielhaus Bochum, Pact Zollverein Essen, Zeche 1, Bochum, prinz regent theater Bochum, Museum Bochum: 12 - 20 September 2008