Manipulate Arts – Scotland’s home for cutting-edge animation, puppetry and visual theatre – today announces the programme for the 19th edition of Manipulate Festival. Its most ambitious programme to date will feature: 4 World Premieres and 6 Scottish Premieres on stage, artists from over 25 countries represented between film and live performance, and an increased presence across the city of Edinburgh, popping up in eight city venues, including the festival’s first appearances at Filmhouse and Lyra, with further shows and events across Traverse Theatre, Studio Theatre at Capital Theatres, Dance Base, Summerhall, WHALE Arts and Out of the Blue Drill Hall.
Story – Supporting Paragraph: In 2026, Manipulate Festival will explore themes of change and transformation from the personal to the global; how finding empathy and seeing the world through another’s eyes can open up new possibilities and create seismic social change, unearthing moments of surprise and unpredictability in the hidden magic and playfulness of the everyday.
The live performance programme will see five leading Scottish theatre companies premiere new works, joined by five world class international puppetry and visual theatre works from across the globe. In film, Manipulate Arts will screen two features and four shorts programmes at Edinburgh’s iconic Filmhouse, and will host the first Manipulate Festival official ‘In Competition’ to award the best in Scottish animation.
An enhanced community programme will see the return of the One Bum Cinema Club, touring libraries across Edinburgh; workshops in inflatable puppet-making for young people and families in collaboration with WHALE Arts; and a series of small community parades which will see young people and their homegrown puppets join forces with Tim Davies’ Ocho – a larger than life inflatable Octopus puppet, with a single puppeteer manoeuvring eight independently articulated legs.
With this ambitious programme Manipulate Arts continues its commitment to nurture and raise up homegrown Scottish talent as a key factor in sustainability in the Scottish arts, particularly in the fields of animation, puppetry and visual theatre. Over 20 lead artists from across Scotland will participate in the Festival in 2026, while Manipulate Arts also returns to form as a leader in international animation, puppetry and visual theatre, fostering global connection across the artforms.
Dawn Taylor, Artistic Director & CEO of Manipulate Arts said: “We are thrilled to bring back Manipulate Festival in 2026, bigger and better, working in partnership with more organisations across Edinburgh than ever before. Bringing the work of such a fearless, inventive, diverse and talented group of artists to stage and screen is both a privilege and a joy, and whether you’re looking for gripping stories, stunning visuals, rollicking entertainment or political provocation, there’s truly something for everyone in this year’s programme. From the deeply personal to the deeply philosophical, this year’s programme spans a wide range of themes including explorations of our relationship with time, to the awesome power and beauty of nature, and the enduring legacies of colonialism. Manipulate Festival is a true celebration of excellence in visual artforms, with the calibre and range of work on offer demonstrating huge potential in these forms to communicate human stories and big ideas to audiences of all ages.”
Jaine Lumsden, Theatre Officer at Creative Scotland said: “Manipulate Arts Festival is supercharging its puppetry and animation programme with a dynamic showcase of visual theatre, supporting Scottish and international creatives to present bold and transformative new work. Across Edinburgh’s venues, stories will be brought vividly to life through cutting-edge innovation in visual theatre and animation; sure to inspire, entertain and captivate audiences.”
Manipulate Festival presents the very best of Scottish and international animated film, puppetry and visual theatre to audiences in Edinburgh and beyond. The Festival aims to engage and challenge audiences with high-quality visually led work which pushes boundaries, plays with form, and challenges perceptions.
By bringing together the very best puppetry, visual theatre and animated film from across the globe with work which has been developed here in Scotland, the Festival seeks to spark opportunities for artistic exchange and to offer our audiences a diverse palette of rich visually led work.
Since 2008, leading and award-winning companies, artists and film-makers from more than 35 countries across 5 continents have provided the vibrant, dynamic core of this festival – a Scottish cultural and arts event that entertains, intrigues and inspires.
This post was last modified on March 16, 2026 8:16 pm