From 3 to 7 April, Plein Theater and Cat Smits Company present the Queering Puppets Festival Amsterdam!

The Queering Puppets Festival Amsterdam provides a stage for genre-transcending forms of visual theatre, object theatre, puppetry and queer perspectives. The third edition of the festival has the theme 'Weapons of the Weak', highlighting the power of vulnerability as a political tool. The highlight of the festival will be the farewell performance by Neville Tranter, one of the world's best-known puppeteers, who will present his very last show after 40 years. Various performances, acts, an exhibition, a master class, talks and DJs are also scheduled.

QUEERING PUPPETS FESTIVAL AMSTERDAM

Since 2022, Queering Puppets Festival Amsterdam provides a stage for genre-transcending forms of visual theatre, object theatre, puppetry and queer perspectives. In the safe space that puppetry creates, everyone can be whoever he, she, them wants to be. Plein Theater and Cat Smits Company defy the norm with this festival full of colourful visual excesses. Queering Puppets is LGBTQA+ friendly, feminist, activist and, above all, brilliant in quirkiness! In this third edition, the theme is Weapons of the weak.

WEAPONS OF THE WEAK

Weapons of the weak highlights the power of vulnerability as a political tool. Puppetry and object theatre use the objectification of the personal to expose deeper layers of society. It refers to James C. Scott's book, in which he describes everyday techniques of evasion and resistance of regimes or systems. In this, we see a link to the role of puppetry in various societies worldwide. Puppetry exploits its 'weakness' - not mainstream, seen as funny, cute and harmless - as a strength, making it an effective tool for changing understanding and behaviour.

PROGRAM

The Queering Puppets Festival Amsterdam will be festively opened on Wednesday 3 April at 19:00 with opening remarks by Alderman Touria Meliani and artistic directors Cat Smits and Berith Danse, the opening of a colourful exhibition of Splitter Splatter and various acts. A highlight of the programme is puppeteer Neville Tranter's farewell performance on Friday evening. Tranter, one of the world's best-known puppeteers, will present his very last show 'UBU' after 40 years on stage. On Sunday, the puppeteer will give the exclusive master class 'The power of the puppet'. Also on the programme are TamTam Objektentheater, Theatre Group Knars, Cat Smits Company, Jose Navarro and Splitter Splatter in concert, complemented by acts, talks and DJ Nights. Tip: Combination tickets are on sale to enjoy a whole evening of the programme and you can eat along with Robin Food's folk cuisine every day.

Queering Puppets Festival is a co-production of Plein Theater and Cat Smits Company. Initiators and artistic directors are Cat Smits (theatre maker, puppeteer) and Berith Danse (director Plein Theater, theatre maker). Queering Puppets Festival is co-sponsored by Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsdeel Oost and the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts.