Françoise Nyssen, Minister of Culture, in agreement with Jean Rottner, President of the Grand-Est Regional Council, Noël Bourgeois, President of the Departmental Council of the Ardennes, Boris Ravignon, Mayor of Charleville-Mézières and President of the Ardenne Métropole Agglomeration Community, and Christophe Blandin-Estournet, President of the International Puppetry Institute, gave his approval to the unanimous decision of the jury, meeting on June 11, 2018, to appoint Philippe Sidre as director of the International Puppetry Institute from September 2018. This appointment will be proposed for validation by the IIM Board of Directors, which will meet on 27 June.
A French institution with an international vocation, the Institut International de la Marionnette (IIM), founded in 1981, is the only national school of puppetry arts in France, hosting two promotions simultaneously since 2016. IIM is also an internationally recognized centre of resources, research and continuing education.
Director since 2005 of the Gérard Philipe de Frouard theatre, a stage that has been agreed for the puppet arts and animated forms, Philippe Sidre is a passionate programmer of the puppet arts, very active in professional associations and networks (Quint'Est network, puppet latitude, puppet scenes-les Avenir...). He is also a cultural trainer at the University of Lorraine (Master 1 and 2 Performing Arts/Cultural Practices) and regularly participates in numerous conferences and round tables on cultural issues.
Philippe Sidre’s project for the IIM, in resonance with the expectations of the sector, aims to enrich the training in order to offer future puppeteers beyond a solid artistic foundation, the ability to take ownership of the challenges of contemporary puppetry creation and to fit fully into the realities of the professional world (theoretical training and practical training). It will strengthen the support of graduates while promoting, for those who wish, their establishment in the Grand-DuchyIt will develop the synergy between the research activities and the activities of the School and will accompany the development of continuing training in liaison with professional networks.
Bringing the heritage of puppetry to life through the preservation and valorization of IIM funds, it will strengthen the opening of the Institute to all audiences in its territory of establishment, especially in the perspective of the future City of Puppetry Arts. Finally, it will work, in cooperation and in consultation with the World Festival of Puppet Theatres, to develop artistic and cultural education projects and cultural action.