Scotland’s Puppet Animation Festival (PAF) has been running since 1984 and is the UK’s oldest established annual performing arts event for children. In the last 5 years it has toured to more than 200 venues throughout the length and breadth of Scotland and the North of England.
This year, they will bring the popular Festival to audiences on line across the UK and it will include digital puppet theatre, animated short films and creative family workshops for children between the ages of 0-12 and their families. Puppet Animation Scotland continues to work closely with venues across Scotland to deliver the festival, including Dundee Rep, The Brunton (Musselburgh), Harbour Arts Centre (Irvine), Dumfries and Galloway Arts, Beacon Arts Centre (Greenock) and Universal Hall (Findhorn).
In being able to reach any family in Scotland with access to the internet, the Festival will this time be able to bring rural communities the high quality work that is a key part of PAF’s mission.
PAF is one of the most important annual events for puppetry in Scotland. They deliver the festival and help champion the art form in Scotland by creating substantial employment and professional development opportunities, providing a national platform to showcase new work from established and emerging Scottish theatre makers. Each year, they programme productions created by puppeteers from the rest of the UK and, on occasion, from the rest of the world, encouraging collaboration and exchange among artists with a passion for puppetry.
The programme will include animated film and workshops as well as puppetry performances from Moving Mouth Monsters, Sokobauno Puppet & Object Theatre (Scotland) Cranky Toy Theatre Workshop, Temporary Commons (Scotland) Sing-song Bird Puppet Workshop, Temporary Commons (Scotland) Peek-a-boo Pop-up Puppet Workshop, Temporary Commons (Scotland) Wibble Wobble Clown Puppet Workshop, Temporary Commons (Scotland).
PAF offers ways to positively engage children in the Easter holidays by combating social isolation with creative engagement. Go PAF!
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 