ARTPUP
"Art&Puppet" is a project that intends to promote a new "borderless" way of understanding the puppet theatre and live contemporary art, addressing the cross-border region of Gorizia and Nova Gorica. The project is divided into five main parts: Two editions of the “Art&Puppets” Festival; "Flash Art", which includes three site-specific public art projects; "Art&Part Lab", which consists of the creation of interactive laboratories; the production of a bilingual puppet theater performance, conceived for children and families. Through innovative and engaging activities, the project promotes participation, inclusion and the respect for diversity, contributing to the enhancement of cultural heritage, cross-border cooperation and sustainable tourism.
The Art&Puppets project aimed to promote democratic participation and social inclusion through the development and dissemination of a “borderless” and innovative approach to understanding and conveying puppetry and contemporary art, centred on participation, inclusion and diversity. Art&Puppets addressed the cross-border community and visitors and, inspired by the reality of a geopolitical border, promoted the overcoming of barriers that still divide our societies.
Throughout the project, a range of educational, cultural and artistic activities were carried out at cross-border level. Joint training programmes were completed, and a mapping of the cultural needs of off-site university students was carried out. The results were used to co-design the programme of the Art&Part Labs, workshops and cross-border explorations dedicated to the themes of Art&Puppets.
As part of the Art&Puppets Festival, a total of 8 live performances, 5 meetings with theatre practitioners, 3 presentation showcases and 1 Flash Art installation were organised, together with 15 public events jointly organised at cross-border level. Activities also included the staging and repeat performances of the Art&Puppets Festival shows, meetings with artists, and vernissage/performance events linked to the Flash Art installations. In 2024 and 2025, two editions of Flash Art – Lighting Guerrilla were also organised, featuring workshops and artistic installations based on videomapping and art interventions in public spaces.
A bilingual cross-border theatre production was also created and staged and presented in primary schools in Gorizia and Nova Gorica between December 2024 and April 2025. Activities continued with the second edition of the Art&Puppets Festival, held in October 2025, featuring new performances and meetings dedicated to puppetry.
The project reached a large audience: approximately 1,200 people attended the performances of the Art&Puppets Festival in Gorizia and Nova Gorica, while around 2,000 people attended the presentation showcases. The Art&Part meetings and activities organised and promoted by ISIG – Istituto di Sociologia Internazionale di Gorizia, directly involved more than 75 university students, enabling them to develop knowledge and skills in the fields of public art, puppetry and bilingual theatrical performance in the cross-border area.
Through meetings with artists, the “SpettAttore” programme and the Flash Art workshops, the project also encouraged active audience participation, the development of artistic and personal skills, and access to innovative forms of expression. In doing so, it contributed to the growth of both professionals working in the sector and the general public. Overall, the initiatives promoted culture and live performance through an innovative, participatory and shared cultural offering between Gorizia and Nova Gorica.
LINK to the project's website: Art&Puppets - ARTPUP - Cta Gorizia