Festival of Wonder 2022 is over
Welcome to the next Festival of Wonder 7-10. November 2024
Welcome to Silkeborg Puppetry Festival
Welcome to Festival of Wonder: Silkeborg’s International festival for puppetry, object theatre and visual theatre.
The theme for this year’s festival is:
Humans, power and love.
Those are big words, but also words which people around the world have experienced intensely during the past three years. The theme manifests itself
in the Danish premiere of the French/Norwegian theatre Plexus Polaires’ performance Dracula, Lucy’s Dream, with puppets in human size, music
and song, and in the Israeli performance ‘Silence Makes Perfect’, which focuses on MeToo.
Festival of Wonder 2022 is the 25th puppetry festival in Silkeborg. We are celebrating this anniversary by presenting some of the highlights
throughout the years. We have especially focused on Teater Forman’s large shows, which our audiences ask for again and again. Through the
years the theatre has created grand performances for the National Theatre and the State Opera in Prague, but they have also created large touring productions like Obludarium and Deadtown.
Silkeborg City’s 175th anniversary is celebrated, a year late, with the outdoor performance: A Poetic Meeting in the Moonlight, directed by Petr Forman.
Among the Danish shows, the theme is especially strong in Teater Meridiano’s performance ‘Animals’.
There is so much puppetry for children of all ages. Here, love is the big theme. In the non-verbal performance ‘Choo Choo Whistle Woof’ with
Czech Naïve Theatre, the wonderful puppeteers enthrall the children with their skillful marionette manipulation.
Puppet theatre’s Grand Old Man, Neville Tranter will give a Master Class for professionals.
The popular puppet workshop for the whole family is back and the very special and funny exhibit, ‘Stuchla’s Little Freak-Show Obludárium’ will be at Museum Silkeborg, is definitely worth a visit.
All schools, libraries and library extensions will have performances during Festival of Wonder.
Many thanks to all of our sponsors, partners and to our many volunteers. Together we create the stage for great experiences in Silkeborg – Danish and international.
Welcome to wonderful theatre experiences in Silkeborg.
Ulla Dengsøe
Artistic Director
Welcome to Silkeborg – Lots of colors and fantasy
For Silkeborg 10.-13. November will be very special days. Puppetry artists from all over the world occupy theatres, schools and other institutions. Gray November days are forgotten, because now the Festival of Wonder is here. The city is full of celebration, colors and fantastic experiences.
But the November days are not only very special days for the people of Silkeborg. Puppet lovers from all over the world are heading for Silkeborg. They follow the caravan of artists because they know they have the prospect of world-class experiences. They move into the city’s hotels, eat in cafes and restaurants and shop in the city’s shops.
2022’s Festival of Wonder is completely special. This is the 25th time the puppets have fascinated children as well as adults. And this is the year when we can once again share our experiences with each other. There is indeed much to look forward to.
First of all for an international world-renowned festival, the city can be proud to host. With experimental as well as traditional puppetry. With more than 100 events. The organizers have once again proven to have the contacts in order and their fingers on the pulse. They deserve a big thank you from all of us. This also applies to the many volunteers who make it all come together.
So let’s go together 10-13. November. Take children or grandchildren – or both – for a performance for the little ones. Create a puppet together. And put on the party clothes in the evening and meet friends and acquaintances for fascinating puppet shows for adults.
I am looking forward!
Helle Gade
Mayor
Welcome to Silkeborg
From the Culture Committee
Dear reader and theatre enthusiasts
Now the Festival of Wonder is just around the corner.
Many of us had been looking forward to the festival last year, but the last wave of Corona wanted it differently. Fortunately, that is behind us, and the city is now ready to form the framework for the fantastic, wonderful Festival of Wonder here in Silkeborg.
With its long history and unique content, the festival can be described as one of our signature events. Although the festival is locally rooted, it reaches out to a wide international selection of theaters – as well as theatre-goers – from all over the world. This year the theaters come from Europe as well as the USA and Israel.
The significance of the festival for Silkeborg and its surroundings is enormous, and we are proud to once again to be able to welcome you in our city. We are very happy about the collaboration with the festival and the people behind it – and I personally look forward to the collaboration in the coming years.
With the high artistic level of the festival, it is a pleasure to see how many people the festival reaches. Young and old. Child as adults. And on many stages in our municipality, so more than 10,000 citizens get a great cultural experience. The festival consists of as many as 100 events, so there is plenty to get involved with.
I hope that local, national and international guests will have a good experience. The festival will do its part to ensure good experiences for the audiences, and then we will do what we can to ensure that the city and the area show their best side.
With the very best wish for a fantastic festival.
Johan Brødsgaard,
1. Deputy mayor and chairman of Culture, Leisure, Outdoor and Sports in Silkeborg Municipality
CONTACTS:
Artistic director and PR manager: Ulla Dengsøe. Phone 0045 20 42 07 64. mail: ulla.dengsoe@silkeborg.dk
Technology and logistics: Poul Andreasen. Phone 0045 50571295. Mail: festivalofwonder@silkeborg.dk