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.

At our May Puppet Recipe, we're thrilled to have Dominik Migac, winner of the Czech Theatre Critics'award for best scenography, talk about his ingenious design.

Find out the secrets of how to design and construct moving eyes for all types of marionettes. After the workshop, make your own prototype with our "recipe" including instructions on how to make a simple version.

I was so excited to make the Frog Marionette Recipe. Mirek provided detailed diagrams with proportions and dimensions. In the video he guides you through the making. This recipe offers three different controller designs which I particularly like as it gives you options as a maker to learn different styles and choose what best suits the needs of your puppet. My frog is a little smaller than Mirek's due to the sizes of wood I had to hand.

Find out about the unique history and significance of Czech Puppet Collections - both private and in museums - with Marie Jirasková and Pavel Jirasek, authors of the award-winning book "Puppets and the Modern" and several other books about the overlap of art and Czech puppetry.

Masopust is the Czech equivalent of Mardi Gras - a celebration of eating, drinking and merriment at the end of winter. It literally means meat + fast, and while it has links to the final hurrah before Lent, its origins go back farther - certainly to pagan rituals and, before that, the Bacchanalia.

Read about PIP happenings in our March 2026 Newsletter! Find out about March Puppet Recipe: Puppet (Re) Collections: Our students have visited the home of Alena Vorlová , the owner of one of the largest Czech private puppet collections, who is in her 90s. What happened to her collection? Find out with puppet history experts Marie and Pavel Jirasek Get a sneak preview of the dates of our 2026-27 Online workshops - we are bringing back Miniature Marionettes! Slava Roztoky Masop

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.

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

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

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