2nd Paros International Puppet Theater Festival
May 1–3, 2026
For the second year in a row, Paros Park is hosting a Puppet Theater Festival, transforming the island into an open-air world filled with stories, colors, and imagination.
For three days, the puppets come to life, stories travel across borders, and young and old alike become part of a unique experience filled with play and surprise. This year, the Festival broadens its horizons and welcomes distinguished artists from Greece and abroad, creating a colorful celebration of art, expression, and creativity. Traditions meet modern techniques, and different cultures intertwine to create a magical setting.
- The program includes: spectacular performances featuring various puppetry techniques by international and local troupes, creative workshops for children and adults, as well as interactive activities that turn the audience into part of the show. We look forward to seeing you there!!
- A festival for all ages, where imagination knows no bounds and art becomes play!
Event Information
Duration: May 1–3, 2026
Location: "Agios Athanasios" Art Gallery Naoussa & courtyard, Naoussa Marina (near the Port Authority)
Artistic coordination: Alaluz Shadow Puppet Theater, Milia AMKE
Information: 694 611 0783, alaluzpuppettheater@gmail.com
Free admission
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
FRIDAY, MAY 1
– 19:00
The Puppet Theater "The Wings of Myth": "The Faster, the Better"
Two children. A world in constant motion. Between them, a tenderness that endures. A story about cooperation, about love that doesn’t shout but endures.
Βασισμένη στην ταινία «Τα Παιδιά του Παραδείσου» του Ματζίντ Ματζιντί. Διάρκεια: 60’ . Ηλικίες 5+.
SATURDAY, MAY 2
– 10:30
Puppet Theater Koutourou "Violeta"
At a dance school, a body learns to listen to its own music. And the music changes—just as the body does.
A ballerina, a rhythm, and an opening toward the invisible.
Duration: 17 minutes. For all ages.
– 11:00
Bonnie Kim – Hāloa (Hawaii)
From a loss, a world is born. From the earth, food sprouts. And from the soil, memory. Hāloa, the first descendant, becomes the root and brother of life.
A solo crankie performance with tiny puppets—a breath of mythology that connects humanity with its land.
Duration: 10’. Ages: 8+
– 11:30
Daniele Viola – Cia. Libélulas (Brazil)
«Nation of the Guarani Aquifer»
Once upon a time, our ancestors lived within the fire. Until they decided to descend to the earth. And even deeper still. To the water.
A transition from fire to liquid, from body to myth, from memory to transformation.
Duration: 10 minutes.For all ages.
«Asa Branca»
A bird, a white wing, a song of drought and migration.
Based on the song “Asa Branca” by Brazilian musician Luiz Gonzaga, which refers to the migration of people from northeastern Brazil due to drought.
Duration: 3 min. For all ages.
– 12:00 – 14:00
Seaside workshop
A game of waves, stories, and hands that learn to build worlds.
For children (ages 6 and up).
– 12:15 – 14:00
Introductory workshop on folk tales.
Folk oral storytelling originated alongside human speech and has been passed down by word of mouth to this day. A language rich in symbols, the folk tale is “magical,” healing for the soul and a guide to life, showing us the path to true autonomy.
Come take your first steps into the magical world of the folk tale!
Workshop facilitator: Taxiarchis Beligiannis
Adult workshop. Registration required.
– 17:00
TEATRO LAMBE LAMBE
Puppet Theater Koutourou – Alice, Otherwise…”
Ένα μικρό κουτί. Ένας θεατής κάθε φορά. Κι ένας κόσμος που ανασαίνει σιωπηλά.
Η Αλίκη δεν είναι πρόσωπο. Είναι μετατόπιση. Μια αλλαγή οπτικής, ένα βλέμμα που γλιστρά σε άλλη πραγματικότητα.Κάθε φορά, αλλιώς.
Daniele Viola – Cia. Libélulas – «Dive – Βουτιά»
In uncharted waters, from the surface to the depths, from rivers to seas, there are creatures both real and enchanted. They belong to a fantastical universe on Earth, but they are threatened by human activity.
I invite you to dive in with me and get to know these creatures...
Ages: 6+
– 18:00
The Salopette Collective – “A Nest for You”
A cage open like a question. Sparrows seeking safety. And a silent question: how free can protection be?
A theatre of shadows, objects, and voices that breathe together.
Duration: 60’ For all ages.
– 19:30
Karabola Puppet Theatre – “A Stone Soup”
A traveler arrives. The doors are closed.
And yet, a single stone is enough to set the story of sharing in motion.
A fairy tale from Portugal, featuring music, puppets, and the humour of humanity’s need for connection.
Duration: 50 min. Ages: 3–103
SUNDAY, MAY 3
– 10:00 a.m.
Morning session with the puppet theater.
Introductory Puppetry Workshop for adults.
An introduction to the world of puppetry. A gathering for those who love the art of puppetry and want to see it come to life from the very beginning.
Workshop instructors: Angeliki Gounaridi, Betty Kokaraki
Registration required.
– 11:15
Traditional fairy tales from all corners of the world.
From the frozen North to Africa. From China to Europe.
Stories that travel without losing their way, because their path is their voice.
Narrated by: Taxiarchis Beligiannis
Ages: 5+
– 12:30
Karabola Puppet Theater – “A Dragon in My Sock”
Something small grows. Something left unsaid demands space.
And there, acceptance becomes transformation.
A story about the dragons that live within us and how we learn to look at them.
Duration: 50 min. Ages: 4–104.
– 13:30
Kyklos Teatro Lambe-Lambe / Crankie
Small worlds. Deep silence. And glances that fit inside a box.
A dive into small worlds.
Where dolls, stories, and light meet the unseen.
For all ages.
ADULT WORKSHOPS
As part of the festival, two workshops for adults will be held, focusing on the art of puppetry and storytelling
Registration is required only for adult workshops.
SATURDAY, MAY 2
– 12:15-14:00
The first workshop serves as an introduction to folk tales and oral storytelling, where words travel from mouth to ear and from ear to mouth.
During the workshop, we will explore folk tales, their conventions, and their functions. We will walk the paths of symbolic speech, exploring its power and its living tradition.
Workshop facilitator: Taxiarchis Beligiannis.
Information/Registration: 6944752269, alaluzpuppettheater@gmail.com
SUNDAY, MAY 3
– 10:00-11:00
The second workshop is a morning session exploring the world of puppets and puppet theater. An exploration of its origins, where we will discuss the different types of puppets and how they are brought to life. The aim of the workshop is to introduce participants to the art of puppet theater and its basic principles.
Workshop instructors: Angeliki Gounaridi, Betty Kokaraki.
Registration/information: 6946110783, alaluzpuppettheater@gmail.com
CHILDREN'S SEASIDE PUPPET THEATRE WORKSHOP
Through imagination, inspiration, and play, we explore the magical world of puppetry in a seaside workshop brimming with creativity and joy.
Children learn simple puppetry techniques, create their own puppets, and bring to life short stories inspired by the sea.
Ages 6+.
Contact
Ai-Yiannis Detis, Naoussa, Paros, 844 01
+30 22840 52908
contact@parospark.com
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