Mar ~ Marionetas | Espinho International Puppet Festival

award 2026

From 2014 to 2017, the Festival organized four editions of this competition with the aim of promoting this artistic genre, fostering the art of puppetry and animated forms, and raising the profile of the respective creators and builders. Over the years, this initiative has established itself as a benchmark in the sector, with recognized cultural interest and relevance. Building on this successful track record, Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora reaffirms its commitment to the excellence of the artist who, often hidden behind the scenes, becomes visible through their creation.

Following the resumption of the initiative in 2025 and the strengthening of its focus on internationalization, we announce that the competition will now adopt a biennial format. This decision aims to consolidate the quality of the entries and ensure the impact this award deserves on the international artistic scene.

Due to this new frequency, there will be no edition of the competition in the current year of 2026. The next edition is scheduled for the year 2027. In this way, the “International Puppetry and Object Art Award” remains a pillar of our programming, alternating its schedule to allow for a more robust cycle of creation and participation.