Artists' Comments

Pesta Boneka has truly succeeded in sharing the rich culture and heart of Indonesia with participants and guests from all corners of the World. Hearts were deeply touched and minds were strengthened in order to encourage each of us to keep inspiring and healing the world around us.

With such a team, such smiles and such an audience a performer is playing in heaven. Thank you Yogyakarta and Papermoon Puppet Theatre for the most wonderful performance experience in PESTA BONEKA !

(Bernd Ogrodnik & Hildur,  World of Puppets- National Theatre of  Iceland )

It was a beautiful gathering of people involved in the art of puppetry and eventually can be a huge and important festival in Southeast Asia. I think in the future will be just fantastic, its growing edition after edition!

(Victor Hugo Hidalgo, Mexico)

PESTA BONEKA is one of a kind festival, unique. It's a reunion where artists become friends or we can even say become a family sharing knowledge, talent and more important, hearts and life. It’s a perfect field for creation.

Relationship with locals and the other artists is a very special intimate matter, through shows, talks, cooking together, workshops and encounters with local theatre companies and artists; all very well orchestrated by Papermoon Puppet Theatre, so generous, talented and dedicated.

Sometimes theatre work runs so fast that there's no time to get deep in the things that really matter in art so in life.  It's magic when you can find a festival like PESTA BONEKA, a break in the race, and you can touched and be touched by all the community that shared those wonderful moments. I came back to Spain so full of inspiration and gratitude.

 (Belen Rubeira, Spain)

For Me PESTA BONEKA is a very honest festival, no pretentions.

What you see is what you get. You'll get the chance to see the beauty of each others art and also the beauty of Yogya's community...

The festival breaks the wall of artists and the community. More of this festival please...

Pesta Boneka is a festival of arts, love and friendship.

smile emoticon

(Andrew Cruz – ANINO Shadowplay. Philippines)

In Pesta Boneka, I witnessed the world and the local meet organically in an artist-initiated festival. I'd witnessed emotion and mind in inanimate material, the puppet.

Jogjakarta is a great place for something like this to happen, with its independent spirit and lively art community. Papermoon, on the other hand, is a great host, offering both experience and passion in equal measures.

The realization of the festival seemed like a magical or miraculous event which I hadn't seen before.

(Kanade yagi, Japan)

With the enormous wayang tradition of Indonesia, PESTA BONEKA is a necessary open window to explore and share locally and internationally about the diversity and richness of the puppetry world.

(Elena Diez Villagrasa – GNAYAW Puppet, Spain)