PannOpticum festival showcases puppet theatre under new leadership

The PannOpticum puppet theatre festival is taking place in Neusiedl am See under new artistic leadership, ORF reported. Over three days, artists from around the world are presenting contemporary puppet theatre, performances and music.

Almut Schäfer-Kubelka has taken over the festival from its founding team, Karin Schäfer and Peter Hauptmann, and is responsible for this year’s programme. The festival features puppetry, installations, music, film and walking acts from Europe, Canada, the United States and New Zealand.

“For me, it is about combining entertainment with socially and politically relevant themes. I tried to incorporate that,” Schäfer-Kubelka said.

The programme is aimed at adults and young audiences. One of the venues is the main square in Neusiedl am See, where free performances are also being held. The festival opened on Friday evening at Haus im Puls with a production by a French troupe.

PannOpticum is held every two years. The festival was founded in 2003 by Schäfer and Hauptmann.

Schäfer-Kubelka first became connected with puppet theatre through the work of her aunt Karin Schäfer. She studied contemporary puppetry at the Ernst Busch School in Berlin and works as an independent artist and cultural practitioner. In 2025, she took part in The Herds, an international performance project that travelled across Europe.

Karin Schäfer has performed her productions in more than 45 countries. After productions including “Pictures at an Exhibition” with Christopher Hinterhuber, the award-winning “Zheng He – When the Dragon Ships Came”, “IBERIA” based on the work of Isaac Albéniz and “Crazy Old Me”, she is now focusing on her work as a visual artist.