The association

Les Petits Comédiens de Chiffons (association Loi 1901)

The World Festival of Puppet Theatres was created  in 1961 by Les Petits Comédiens de Chiffons.

The World Festival of Puppet Theatres includes:

– the world’s largest gathering of puppeteers every other year in Charleville-Mézières
– the support of artistic creation through the co-production of shows, the reception of artists in residence, the accompaniment to the diffusion of shows
– work throughout the year with the public (schools, associations, general public) for the democratization of the culture and the development of the public around the puppet
– the organization of “Temps d’M” the years inter-festivals

Founded in 1941, the popular education organisation Les Petits Comédiens De Chiffons aims at promoting the art of puppetry to the widest possible audiences.

Board of Directors

Philippe Choulet (President)
Claire Pellerier (Vice-presidente)
Stéphane Collet (Treasurer)
Philippe Pailla (Secretary)
Annie Janicot (Secretary assistant)
Administrators : Lothaire Claudel, Jérôme Descamps, Sylvie Jupinet, Philippe Rodriguez-Jorda, Nelly Royaux, Francis Vexo 
Honorary member : Claude Guillou, Philippe Vaillant

History

The Festival, founded in 1961, has never ceased to grow over the course of its 22 editions. 

It is thanks to Jacques Felix, passionate amateur and tireless discoverer, that the Charleville-Mézières Festival has become the unmissable meeting place for puppeteers, artistic programmers and audiences from all over the world. 
For ten days, the whole city lives to the rhythm of the Festival. Theaters, gymnasiums, streets, courtyards, become as many places for shows. All techniques, all genres and all research are welcomed: from string to glove, from shadow to bunraku, from object to screen, from small intimate forms to giant puppets… traditional shows rub shoulders with the most modern forms, meeting a wide range of audiences. 
Each edition brings together 150,000 spectators in the city of Charleville-Mézières, now recognized as the World Capital of Puppetry Arts. 
In addition to the Festival, since 1981 the city has been home to the Institut International de la Marionnette, a permanent training, creation and research center, as well as the ESNAM (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette), which has been welcoming students from around the world since 1987. 
The headquarters of the UNIMA (International Union of Puppetry) is also located in Charleville-Mézières since 1980.
On a triennial rhythm since 1976, the Festival becomes biennial in 2009. The last edition of the Festival took place from September 16 to 24, 2023 and the next from September 19 to 28, 2025.