International Institute of Puppetry

Institut International de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mézières is an international center for puppetry arts, bringing together training, artistic creation and research in a city long recognized as the world capital of puppet theatre.

How did the institute come about?

Puppeteer Jacques Félix founded the institute in 1981, registering it as a nonprofit association under French law. From the outset it was built on three pillars: training the next generation of puppeteers, researching the art of figure animation, and promoting the discipline nationally and internationally through conferences, colloquia and artist residencies. Charleville-Mézières was a deliberate choice — the city has hosted the Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes since 1961, one of the world's leading puppet theatre events, making it a natural home for an institution of this kind.

What does the institute actually do?

At its core sits ESNAM — École Supérieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette — the only higher-education school in France dedicated to training professional puppeteers. The program covers not just performance technique but also support for graduates entering professional artistic careers. Beyond the school, the institute runs a documentation center focused on puppetry, organizes workshops for both artists and the public, and hosts creators in residence, producing new shows and experimental forms of puppet theatre.

How is it linked to the puppet festival?

The institute is closely tied to the Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes: the 2025 edition brought together 87 companies — 46 French and 41 international — from 23 countries, staging 438 performances across the city. A year ahead of each festival edition, the institute organizes "Temps d'M," an event dedicated to showcasing emerging puppetry talent — a chance to spot new names before they reach the main festival program. On January 1, 2025, the institute merged with the association Petits Comédiens de Chiffons to form the Pôle International de la Marionnette - Jacques Félix, broadening its scope to cover additional forms of puppetry education.

What else is worth seeing on the puppetry trail here?

Right alongside the institute's own activities, it's worth visiting the Musée de l'Ardenne et de la marionnette, where two rooms house a rich collection of puppets spanning the late 19th century to the present day. The collection covers both traditional and contemporary manipulation techniques, giving a fuller picture of what keeps Charleville-Mézières' puppetry scene alive year-round, not only during festival weeks.

How do you get there, and when's the best time to visit?

The institute is located at 7 place Winston Churchill, 08000 Charleville-Mézières, right in the city center, within easy walking distance of the train station and the Place Ducale. If you want the full spectacle, time your visit for the Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes, when the whole city turns into an open-air stage. If you'd rather explore at a quieter pace, visiting outside festival season lets you take your time with the documentation center and the exhibition spaces around it.

Frequently asked questions

Is the institute open to visitors on a regular basis? Yes — outside of running the festival and the ESNAM school, the institute maintains ongoing exhibitions and documentation activities open to visitors year-round.

How does it differ from the Musée de l'Ardenne et de la marionnette next door? The institute is a center for training, research and creation, while the museum focuses on collecting and displaying a historical puppet collection — the two complement each other closely.

Do you need to speak French to get anything out of a visit? Not really — puppet performances rely mainly on movement and visual storytelling, and exhibitions tied to the festival are usually labeled in several languages.

When is the best time to plan a trip? The city is at its most impressive during the Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes, but the institute and museum are worth a visit at any time of year.