KuklaFest Professional Puppeteers Conference

August 7-8, 2021
​​​Hosted at Grand Valley State University
Two-Day Zoom Conference
Live Lectures
Demonstrations
​Performances 
Multiple Camera Angles 
Interactive Q&A
In 1945, Burr Tillstrom introduced the art of puppetry to OxBow - a painting school and summer retreat nestled in the dunes along Lake Michigan. Over the next 35 years, Burr attracted puppeteers from around the country to meet there.

In 2019, Hystopolis Productions in cooperation with OxBow School of Art and Artists' Residency welcomed puppeteers back to Saugatuck, Michigan for the inaugural KuklaFest, a conference and retreat for artists to share their work and sharpen their skills. The event was a resounding success and many who attended signed up to attend the 2020 conference, before it was canceled due to the pandemic. 

This year we are excited to welcome a broader audience and explore new territory with an all virtual experience. We are pulling in experts to produce a live interactive event. Stay tuned for more details coming soon! 

The Burr Tillstrom Documentary Project

When an unexpected treasure trove of Burr's personal artifacts was graciously donated to the Saugatuck Douglas History Center by David Balas and James Sellman, what started as a simple request to borrow Burr's puppetry sewing box for the conference, quickly grew into a larger project as we began working to digitize the collection.​
(312) Puppets 
Kuklafest@gmail.com
Donations may be sent to:  Hystopolis Productions, PO Box 490, Douglas, MI 49406
KuklaFest is a program of Hystopolis Productions, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering and promoting the art of puppetry. KuklaFest is funded in part by grants from the Great Lakes Region of the Puppeteers of America.