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See Us Perform

Every summer you can see our annual pageant at the historic Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill. We also perform all over the world!

Sustain Us

We do a lot of work out in our community and in order to keep serving the public, we need your monthly support!

Work With Us

Book us for shows, artist or school residencies, workshops, private events, conferences, installations, parades, commissions and more!

We are a puppetry arts
non-profit. We use diverse styles of puppetry and artistic expression to create works that inspire, promote social change and are deeply rewarding for all involved.

  • "Thank you so much for all you do for our community through your work. Paperhand Puppet is truly one of the best things about this area, and embodies the spirit of change-making through artistic expression in a way I've seen almost nowhere else! Thank you for impacting all our lives (and our childrens’ lives) so very deeply!"

  • "We make pilgrimage every year to the forest theatre. The show, music and the theatre transports us to a magical world. It's a wonderful experience!"

  • It taught me all different ways to be creative and how to make these awesome puppets! I would definitely love to do something like this again, AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

  • "We just wanted to compliment you, your team, and those in the show tonight. What an absolutely astounding night. It was beautiful, inspiring, and moving. I definitely left with a joyful tear in my eye. This performance was definitely worth the wait."

  • "I expected a wonderous show, because that is what you do! I did not expect to be moved to tears by the beauty of some of the stories and puppets. What artistry! Thank you!"

  • "This was one of the best events I have ever seen. Amazing talent, incredible stories, fantastic message. I could go on and on."

  • "Always inspiring, invoking, beautiful, spectacular and an all around community connecting,  heart n soul enriching experience."

  • "You all have created such a beautiful emotional moving piece with your performance. The hard work truly shines through your whole team. We were so thrilled to finally see the performance. Thank you for the happy tears we didn't know we needed to shed."

  • "Donovan Zimmerman and team have created yet another masterpiece.... Finding a perfect blend of creativity, beauty, music and movement that can only be defined as magic, and using it all to tell a story that stirs very real, raw emotion in its viewers."

  • "Magical, moving, and simply amazing experience. It woke up my soul."

  • "Beautiful, moving, timely, community powered art. Love it!"

  • "It's a visual feast on so many levels and their message is about life happening all around us."

  • "Madly and communally creative and subversive, it is! Story holders and tellers of deep story."

  • "Paperhand Puppet Intervention is nothing short of fantastic, truly a don't miss. The teamwork and cooperation involved first between the incredible live music and then among the many bigger than life "puppets with the always moving parts of the brilliant choreography are a one of a kind happening. "

  • "An artistic celebration of an inclusive and participatory community envisioning the forging of a brighter future."

Keep up with our work and help us continue to keep art alive and thriving.