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Gain the skills to turn your puppet dreams into wooden masterpieces.
Carve marionettes with leading artists who understand puppet aesthetics and professional technology. We have in-person workshops in Prague plus online workshops. All based in the Czech Republic, where puppetry -- a UNESCO cultural heritage -- is very much alive.
NEWS
Blog posts about Czech puppetry and upcoming events at PIP
When Puppets Take to the Streets
Two years ago I readied myself for an interview for university, where I had applied to the politics department. I expected the examiners to ask me about democracy, about social policy, about activism. I was surprised when they focused on something I had mentioned as an afterthought: the political dimensions of puppet theater. This was a topic I knew well. Czech political history is full of puppets.
New Year's Party
Celebrate 2026 by reuniting with puppet friends online! Call for FINISHED PUPPETS, PUPPET RECIPES and AUTOMATA- wrap up 2025 by assembling old projects and then show them off at our party! WHEN: January 2, 3 pm EST / 9 pm Prague time WHERE: On Zoom Sign up now, it's free! More information about our presenters coming soon. Automata Workshop Students See the beautiful creations of Chesley Cannon, Cara Jane Hayman, Heidi Vanwachtendonck , Kathryn Rathke, Adriana Hollenbeck, Sabi
Discover Mirek's Christmas Exhibitions in Old Town
Mirek has two exciting exhibitions happening in Old Town this Christmas season. These showcases highlight his incredible talent and creativity. Christmas in Motion The first exhibition, Christmas in Motion , is located at the Manufaktura toy store on Karlova 26. Here, you can see Mirek's Christmas automata. These unique pieces now feature motors and special sensors, bringing them to life in a way that captivates both children and adults alike. Zvesela / Merry Merry The second
Czech Mechanical Christmas
As soon as Advent begins (four weeks before Christmas), Czechs start celebrating the holidays in earnest. Even though this is one of the world's least religious countries, people value Christmas traditions. One of our favorites is the mechanical nativity scene, carved folk art where everyday people, animals and and Czech landscapes overshadow religious imagery. Learn more including how they are constructed at our December Puppet Recipe - our monthly workshops. WHEN: December
Puppets and the Velvet Revolution
On Sunday November 17, we will light a candle to remember the Velvet Revolution, which took place 35 years ago and was initiated by students
Recording, Simple Mechanisms 1
See the first session of our Simple Mechanisms Workshop, the opening of our 2025-26 Automata Fundamentals Online Workshop, which took place on September, 2025. Learn to make several simple automata that you can easily make at home with scrap wood, clothespins, and other materials that are easily sourced. Our Automata Fundamentals Course will run from September 2025 to April 2026. It will be taught by Mirek Trejtnar, expert woodcarver, toymaker and automata builder. You can j
Marionette Controllers Workshop: November Puppet Recipe
Make your own at our next 2-hour online Puppet Recipe. November 9, 7-9 p.m. CET / 1-3 pm EST What do you need to consider when making a controller for your marionette? We will start with the basic Czech-style controllers for a human marionette, including the differences between a puppet on a wire vs. a puppet on strings. Then how to adjust your controller for special movements of hands and feet, moveable jaw, special controllers for trick variety puppets, how to design a cont
Make a Waves Mechnism!
Learn the techniques for making this intriguing mechanism at our upcoming Waves Workshop. It is part of our full-year Automata Fundamentals Onlike Workshop, but you can sign up for an individual module. Mechanism by Chesley Cannon, made in our 2024-25 Automata workshop WHEN: November 23 + December 24, 7-9 p.m. Central European Time / 1-3 p.m. EST WHERE: Zoom platform Find out more here!
October 25 Newsletter
Read about our puppet happenings in our October 2025 Newsletter ! Find out about: Sign up for our Summer 2026 Workshops Sign up for upcoming Automata Workshops What is being cooked in our upcoming Puppet Recipes
Make a Puppet Show! October Puppet Recipe
WHEN: Sunday, October 5, 7-9 p.m. Central European Time (1-3 EST) WHERE: Zoom platform Puppeteers Jakub Sulik and Johana Bartova started...
WORKSHOPS
Experience top-quality workshops of Puppets in Prague
Automata Workshops
- Live workshops on Zoom
- Shorter and longer workshops
- Includes access to recordings
... and more
Mastering the Marionette
- Asynchronous with high quality videos
- In-depth understanding of marionette construction
- Regular live consultations on Zoom
... and more
In-Person Workshops
- In Puppets in Prague workshop space
- Taught by a team of over 10 Czech artists
- Includes puppet shows, festivals, museums
... and more
Puppet Recipes
- Monthly live workshops on Zoom
- Access through membership
- Specialized topics: technology, performing
- Includes access to recordings
... and more
PiP STORE
Perfect present for the puppeteer
STUDENT BLOG
What is it like to be a student at Puppets in Prague?
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