The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles seeks puppetry acts for its annual Puppet Festival on Sunday, April 26, 2026, from 12:00–5:00 pm. This day long, campus-wide festival celebrates Jewish culture, imagination, and storytelling and will be presented to family audiences, primarily children ages 2–8 and their parents. 

The festival will feature a wide range of puppetry, from small to large scale, using diverse media and drawing on a variety of artistic and cultural traditions. 

General attendance across the daylong festival is up to 2,100 visitors.

About the Skirball

For the Skirball Cultural Center, which opened in 1996, the performing arts serve as a vehicle to explore and forge connections among individuals, cultures, and communities in engaging, inclusive, and memorable ways. 

We welcome people of all kinds to participate in programming that celebrates discovery and hope, fosters connection, and calls upon each of us to help build a better world. 

Rooted in storytelling traditions central to Jewish culture, the Skirball celebrates puppetry as one of the most powerful means of sharing stories and building community.

Seeking Four Types of Experiences:

1. Mainstage
   1. Proscenium style theatrical stage shows for an audience of 100–300 with a run time of approximately 25–35 minutes, performed 2 or 3 times through the day (day-of allotted set up time 3 hrs and strike time 3 hrs).
2. Midsized
   • Black box style theatrical stage shows for an audience of 50–100 running approximately 25–35 minutes, performed 2 or 3 times through the day (day-of allotted set up time 2 hrs and strike time 2 hrs).
3. Pageant puppets
   • Large strolling puppets that can be performed among an audience in our large outdoor courtyard.
4. Pop-up
   • Small scale outdoor and indoor performances that surprise and delight with moments lasting from 5–15 minutes. Must have little to no tech/AV.

*Please note that many performance spaces will be outdoors or in spaces that are not traditional theatre venues. Large scale productions that need cueing, specialty lighting, or wing/fly space may not be possible.

We are looking for puppetry acts that:

• Make use of a variety of artistic, visual, and performance styles.
• Build on our mission of connecting people across cultures, examining history and identity, celebrating diversity, and making the world a better place by caring for the earth, animals, and one another.
• That tell original stories or provide a new take on folktales or are creative re-imaginings of culturally significant events or stories.
• Are family-friendly and engage audiences across generations.
• Can be performed in traditional and nontraditional performance spaces in the daytime like outdoor patios, museum galleries, or public spaces.

What We’re Not Looking For:

• Performances geared toward adults (e.g. depictions of sex, violence, or storylines and situations that might be too sophisticated for young children)
• Performances with significant technical needs, requiring overly elaborate sets, lighting, or sound.

Stipend:

Each participating group will be offered a stipend, comp tickets, free lunch, marketing opportunities, and amenities on the day of performance.

How to Apply:

Send an e-mail introducing yourself, including the name of the proposed piece, along with the following:   

1. Title of piece
2. Show size: Mainstage, Midsize, Pageant, or Pop up
3. Contact information
4. A brief description of the performance/experience
5. Links to video clips and/or high-res images of the performance/experience
6. A list of the technical requirements and number of performers
7. A résumé and any additional references
8. Any other work samples you’d like to share

Send your message to familyprograms@skirball.org with the subject line PUPPET FEST 26.   

Deadline for Submissions

February 9, 2026  

If we are interested in setting up an in-person interview/audition, we will contact you after receiving your materials.