Puppet Power 2025 Calgary tackles migration and the strings of belonging

Sometimes to make sense of an overwhelming change or situation, you can’t just tell it — you have to show it.

This year the Puppet Power conference tackles the complexities that follow when humans migrate.

It runs Oct. 18–19 at Calgary’s Centre for Newcomers.  With a spotlight on immigration, exploring how puppetry can bridge cultures, foster understanding, and give newcomers a voice, regardless of language.

Now in its 13th year, the biennial festival is known for taking on the big issues,  from materialism to mental health through what WP Puppet Theatre calls “the power of puppetry to impact positive social change.” The conference invites artists, educators, social workers, and curious citizens to explore puppetry.

Founder Wendy Passmore-Godfrey says the theme always reflects the world’s pulse.

“I look at a theme that I think is timely. And I look in the world and see who is out there that is doing work that’s related to that theme, interpreting that theme, using it in some fashion, being part of that theme,” she says.

The weekend includes six global livestream sessions, hands-on workshops, and a Saturday night celebration featuring international performances, music, and a globally inspired dinner catered by Ethnicity at the Centre for Newcomers.

A highlight is the Rapid Ideation session, where Calgary agencies will workshop real-world case studies on how puppetry can be used in immigrant-serving programs — from storytelling projects to art exhibits or community fundraisers.

“We’ve got two case studies from organizations in Calgary… We have a panel of people who are artists, social arts for social change, doing arts programs in the immigrant sector. We have a group of panelists who are going to brainstorm in a very exciting and innovative and visual way how these two case studies might use puppetry for what they’re trying to do.”

“What we want to do is broaden people’s notions of what puppetry is,” Passmore-Godfrey explains, “It doesn’t have to cost hundreds of dollars. It can be a stapler talking about its life — finding humor and meaning in its day.”

For her, puppetry’s strength is its universality.

“Puppetry is a metaphor. And it can be a metaphor for a person or for an animal or for a living tree… If you were expressing frustration, how do you express that? When you add a puppet in there… that’s fairly powerful to speak through.”

That power crosses borders and languages.

“It’s a way for immigrant folks and anybody to tell their stories, to have a voice, to be creative,” Passmore-Godfrey says. “And it’s also professional development for people who are working in the sector and trying to find a bridge to speak with people or to find commonalities and relationships.”

More information can be found here.