Puppet Power 2025 Comes to Ames: Exploring Process, Practice, and Possibility in Applied Puppetry
Puppet Power 2025 is coming to Ames, Iowa for the first time, hosted by the Iowa State University Department of Music and Theatre. This international hybrid conference brings together artists, educators, therapists, and community leaders to explore how puppetry can be a powerful tool for communication, education, and creative problem solving. With in-person programming in Ames, parallel events in Calgary, Alberta, and virtual access worldwide, Puppet Power 2025 offers new ways to engage with the global field of applied puppetry—right here in central Iowa.
At the heart of the conference is applied puppetry—a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice that extends beyond traditional performance. It brings puppets into classrooms, clinics, community centers, and social service agencies to foster dialogue, support learning, and imagine new possibilities together.
Conference highlights include:
- Workshops
- Keynote talks and panels
- A puppet film festival
- An applied puppetry exhibit
- Networking and community-building events
Local programming is made possible through generous support from the ISU Center for the Arts and Humanities, the Ames Public Library, and the Octagon Center for the Arts.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Puppet Power to Ames,” said Amanda Petefish-Schrag, Associate Professor of Theatre at ISU and coordinator for the Ames branch of the conference. “This is a unique opportunity for our students to engage directly with international artists and scholars, expanding their understanding of puppetry and the arts as a tool for learning, collaboration, and creative problem solving. It’s also a chance to strengthen connections between our campus and the wider community through shared exploration and creative exchange.”
For more information and registration details, visit: https://www.music.iastate.edu/event/2025/puppet-power-2025-applied-puppetry-conference
or contact isutheatre@iastate.edu.