Papermoon Puppet Theatre was founded in 2006 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, by Maria Tri Sulistyani (Ria) and Iwan Effendi. The company also includes core members Anton Fajri, Pambo Priyojati, Beni Sanjaya, and Hardiansyah Yoga. Rooted in the belief that anything can come alive, Papermoon works through performances, installations, workshops, and international festivals, including PESTA BONEKA, to animate objects, stories, and human connections through puppetry. For nearly twenty years, the company has shared its work globally while remaining deeply grounded in Yogyakarta’s vibrant arts community. As Papermoon approaches its 20th anniversary, the company embraces “Holding Hands” as the spirit of its year-long work and the theme of PESTA BONEKA’s 10th edition. In a time marked by distance and division, holding hands becomes both a metaphor and an action an invitation to listen, collaborate, and move together. Through puppetry as a shared visual and emotional language, Papermoon positions the festival not only as a presenting platform, but as a space for artistic exchange, transformation, and lasting relationships between artists, audiences, and communities across borders.

As part of Pesta Boneka #10, we proudly present Pesta Boneka on Wheels. Papermoon Puppet Theatre extends its festival spirit beyond Yogyakarta by building meaningful
collaborations with local creative spaces and puppetry communities across Indonesia. In Bali, we are proud to partner with Titik Dua Ubud in Peliatan Village, a boutique hotel showcasing contemporary Indonesian design, art, and culture. With its thoughtfully designed multi-purpose venues and open-air amphitheatre, Titik Dua provides an intimate yet dynamic platform for performances, workshops, and artistic encounters. This collaboration also joins hands with our beloved friends, puppeteer artists in Bali, creating a shared organizing platform that strengthens local networks and expands public access to puppetry. Together, we aim not only to present performances, but to nurture exchange, visibility, and sustainable growth for puppetry in the region.

Embodying the theme of Holding Hands, this partnership connects artists, spaces, and communities—bridging Yogyakarta and Bali through collective care, shared imagination, and long-term creative relationships.

ARTIST COLLABORATOR:

Ventriloquist Bali (Bali, Indonesia), A Story of Star
Led by storyteller and ventriloquist Wanda, Ventriloquist Bali brings stories to life alongside two puppet characters, Krisno and Jegeg Bulan, combining storytelling and ventriloquism through playful exchanges between performer, puppets, and audience.

Naranjarte (Aotearoa New Zealand / Spain), The Bell
Founded by Ana Lorite and Sergio Aguilar in 2011, Naranjarte brings together puppetry, juggling, circus, and theatrical illusion in imaginative visual performances. Having presented more than 200 shows across 14 countries, the company continues to create work exploring transformation, creativity, and the pursuit of dreams.

Lemah Tulis (Bali, Indonesia), Wayang Subak: RARE ANGON
Founded by I Putu Ardiyasa in 2018, Lemah Tulis is a Balinese arts community dedicated to preserving and reimagining wayang. Through performance, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the collective brings traditional practices into dialogue with contemporary issues while creating new possibilities for puppetry and performance.

Yinalang Group (Taiwan), What Is It That I Am Made Of?
With play and curiosity at the heart of its practice, Yinalang Group experiments with puppetry, objects, light, and shadow to transform everyday materials into imaginative performances. Its work also extends into participatory workshops, connecting local stories and memories with creative experimentation.

Gerhana Carita (Bali, Indonesia), I BALUAN
Gerhana Carita is a Bali-based storytelling collective led by Gus Bao and Hary. Working with light and shadow, wood, leaves, fabric, bamboo, rope, and objects found around them, the group creates and shares stories of wonder through simple materials and imaginative visual storytelling.

Wayang Sunar (Bali, Indonesia), MENYANDAR PENDAR
Founded in 2019 from an artistic exploration initiated by Gus Pangsua, Wayang Sunar reimagines wayang and puppet theatre through contemporary approaches to form, movement, light, music, and stage design. A defining element of its work is the use of light from within the puppets themselves, transforming them into evolving visual forms that interact with the performance space.

KO-KOO-MO (Finland), Block Theatre
Developed by artist Roosa Halme, KO-KOO-MO explores puppetry and visual theatre through Block Theatre, a concept centred on wooden human-shaped building blocks designed by visual artist Kai Ruohonen. Reduced to simple forms, the blocks become an open canvas for constantly changing characters, meanings, and worlds shaped by the imagination of performer and audience.

Talentshow Theatre (Thailand), Ta Lent Show
Founded in 2020 by graphic designer May and acclaimed Thai mime artist Ta, Talentshow Theatre combines mime and object theatre to create non-verbal stories that move beyond language and cultural barriers. Transforming everyday objects into characters and imaginative stage elements, their performances bring together humour, emotion, and visual storytelling for audiences of all ages.