Zeitgenössische PuppenspielkunstContemporary Puppetry

The Contemporary Puppet Art (Zeitgenössische Puppenspielkunst) diploma program focuses on the performer as the central element. The four-year study begins with the fundamentals of acting and animation of puppets and objects. From the beginning, students learn to develop their own stories, making this program ideal for those who want to perform on stage while developing their own artistic authorship. Throughout the program, students work with different forms of puppets in scene studies. With only 10 students per year, the supervision is highly individualized, providing space for students to pursue their own artistic ideas. The university's network helps students find the right partners and establish practical connections early on. The education concludes with a diploma as a Puppeteer/Performing Artist.

The program is structured into basic studies (Grundstudium, semesters 1-5) and main studies (Hauptstudium, semesters 6-8). The basic studies focus on establishing the fundamentals of animation, puppetry, and acting, progressing from traditional puppet forms (mask, mouth puppets, marionettes) to more complex arrangements including digital media. The main studies allow students to deepen their profile and develop their own 'theater languages'. Students learn to see themselves not just as performers but as comprehensive stage artists who contribute to concepts, develop texts, incorporate partners from other art forms, and initiate creative processes. The main studies include a studio production typically created in cooperation with a theater, and in the 4th year, students develop their free diploma projects and ensemble diplomas, often in collaboration with theaters or festivals.

The curriculum includes a wide range of subjects: Animation (bringing inanimate materials to life), Digital Media (combining puppetry with virtual spaces and new technologies), Hand Puppets, Masks, Puppet Control Techniques, Speech and Voice Training, Theater History/Puppet Theater History/Dramaturgy, Acting, Movement (including acrobatics, aikido, pantomime, fencing, tap dancing, and dance), Verse Theory, Free Projects, Studio Productions, Ensemble Productions, Hybrid Forms (creating mixed puppet forms), Cultural Management (for freelance artists), Music, Puppet Building Technology, Theory of Puppet Art, Marionettes, and Design Theory.