Manipulate Arts Festival 2025 – Puppetry, Performance, and Play!
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – February 2025
Hold onto your puppets, folks! The Manipulate Arts Festival is back and better than ever, offering a smorgasbord of animated film, puppetry, and visual theatre that will leave you asking, “Why didn’t I get a puppet involved in my story sooner?” With workshops, performances, and even a little chaos thrown in for good measure, it's set to be a truly unforgettable event.
This year’s festival runs from February 12-16, bringing together an impressive line-up of artists, creators, and some seriously mind-blowing performances. From the traditional to the avant-garde, the festival offers something for everyone—from puppetry enthusiasts to the most chaotic of theatre lovers.
The Highlights (Spoiler: There’s No Puppetry in the Headline, But There Will Be Puppetry in Your Heart)
WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY – Let’s Get Puppety
Start your festival adventure with the So You Think A Puppet Could Tell Your Story Better Than Yourself? workshop. Led by the wonderful Mamoru Iriguchi and Fergus Dunnett at Dance Base.
There's more! At Fruitmarket Warehouse, the labyrinthine Cartography performance promises to take you through an immersive maze of interactive encounters. And if you’re still hungry for more, check out Snapshots at The Studio at Festival Theatre — a night of scratch performances showcasing fresh works from artists across puppetry, circus, and dance.
THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY – Visionaries, Film Buffs, and Puppets Who Play Musical Chairs
Thursday kicks off with the Mapping Degrowth Futures , a FREE event at The Hub—it’s an interactive, “choose-your-own-adventure” style of mapping exercise about creating sustainable futures. This is your chance to get deeply philosophical while sketching out how to save the world through puppetry (maybe).
The evening then brings a double-whammy of exciting performances with The Law of Gravity at Traverse Theatre. Picture it: a fusion of puppetry and live music by Scottish Ensemble and Blind Summit, using Arnold Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night and Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 3 to help puppets figure out who’s the boss in a delicate dance of creativity.
And don’t miss These Things Aren’t Mine — a gripping exploration of PTSD through abstract circus art, featuring Gabbie Cook (previously known as a gymnast, now a circus artist). You’ll feel all sorts of things, but mostly awe.
FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY – Let's Fall in Love with Puppets and Shorts (In That Order)
On Valentine’s Day, swap the chocolates for some hands-on action! If your partner’s more about cinematic love than romantic love, A Town Called Panic (an animated stop-motion film) might just be your perfect date. Plus, it was a Cannes Film Festival sensation, so it’s got major street cred.
For those who prefer their love to be a bit more, well, prophetic, check out When Prophecy Fails, a cutting-edge physical theatre performance based on cognitive dissonance. It’s heavy stuff, but the puppets make it adorable.
SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY – A Double Bill with Twice the Fun (and Puppets)
Saturday’s lineup is a delightful double feature. In the afternoon, join Anthony Schrag for ChaosPlay at Traverse Theatre. It’s a playful and interactive event that will get your creative juices flowing, and your inner puppeteer will thank you.
That evening, the Double Bill of Elke (a tribute to pioneering Trans woman Elke Mackenzie) and Ratkin (speculative puppetry of rodent-humanoids in a post-apocalyptic world) promises to deliver a rollercoaster of emotions, social commentary, and, of course, puppets. Don’t miss this chance to support the SURGE community and witness two incredible performances in one evening.
INTERNATIONAL SHORTS – From Love to Chaos and Everything in Between
The festival’s short film offerings are an absolute must-see, with thematic shorts like Queer Stories and On the Edge, bringing animated art from around the globe. Expect explorations of identity, the fragility of communities, and journeys through space and self-discovery—all in one sitting. If you’re someone who likes to watch world-class animation in your pajamas, we’ve got you covered with At Home online shorts as well!
#ManipulateArtsFestival – It’s puppetry, it’s weird, and it’s all about making art that speaks to the soul (or possibly just the puppet-wielding hand).
And there you have it! Manipulate Arts Festival is the event that promises to make you laugh, cry, and leave with at least a dozen new puppetry ideas to pitch at your next creative meeting.