Newcastle Puppetry Festival Returns for The Easter Holidays
The annual Newcastle Puppetry Festival returns to the city for the Easter Holidays, with a week-long programme of shows, workshops, talks, films and outdoor theatre.
The Newcastle Puppetry Festival will run from 19-27 April 2025, marking its 6th edition, since winning The Journal Culture Award for ‘Best Newcomer’ back in 2017 for the debut.
Produced by local arts charity Moving Parts Arts CIO, the festival will feature a wide range of free and ticketed theatre and performance events, workshops and films at Northern Stage and the Great North Museum: Hancock.
There are many events for children and families, but also shows and workshops dedicated to adult and teen audiences.
Opening the festival will be a day of free outdoor theatre performances on Saturday 19th April on Northumberland Street. Giant puppets will roam the busy shopping street, including a larger-than-life deer, baby elephant, and a fantastical Jabberwocky with wandering accordionist. There will even be a handheld dragon for children and families to stroke and get selfies with.
Don’t miss the Toon Underground community parade at 2pm on the 19th April, which will feature 150 local residents and artists following two weeks of free parade workshops at the Great North Museum: Hancock. The parade theme will celebrate all things ‘underground’ in Newcastle, including the Metro network, burrowing creatures and mushrooms and fungi.
The festival attracted 28,000 people in 2024, a bubbling mixture of local residents, people from around the region and visitors from all corners of the world. Newcastle Puppetry Festival is now one of the largest and celebrated events of its kind in the UK.
Moving Parts Arts Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Kerrin Tatman, commented: “We’re thrilled to be back again for another week of all things puppetry in Newcastle.
“We’ve tried our best to include something for everyone this year, even on a reduced budget due to securing less funding than usual.
Puppetry is not just for children and there are lots of adult shows and workshops on offer, as well as for kids and families. I am most excited for ‘Cantos Animata’ and ‘Panta Rhei II’, both UK premiere shows by t’Magisch Theatertje from The Netherlands. Both shows are for adults and teens taking place at Northern Stage on the 25th and 26th April 2025. The performances are without words, using otherworldly imagery and an original soundtracks to transport audiences into unique theatrical worlds. Also make sure to check out the free workshops for families we’re running at the Great North Museum: Hancock 25th-27th April!”
To learn more about Newcastle Puppetry Festival or buy tickets to any of the events, go to www.movingpartsarts.com
Newcastle Puppetry Festival 2025 is made possible and funded by Arts Council England, Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, National Lottery Community Fund ‘Awards for All’, Nexus, The Barbour Foundation, Hadrian Trust, and partnership with the Great North Museum: Hancock.
Featured image: Jabberwocky by Rag and Bone
