At puppet shows in Africa, the only thing separating the puppeteers from the audience is a line drawn on the floor. In China, puppeteering is an art that is mastered by few, as it includes opera singing as well as dialogue and folksongs. In India, marionettes were once a part of daily life for farmers, who would often spend their breaks improvising shows.

You’ll learn much more about the interesting history of puppet theater at the permanent puppet exhibition “Theater at Your Fingertips” at Workshop Mairivi, which opens on Friday, October 12th. It presents an impressive collection of puppets from all over the world.

Artist, puppeteer and puppet maker Mairivi Georgiadou worked together with final-year students from Panteion University’s Department of Communications, Media & Culture to turn her workshop into an exhibition space, where her collection of puppets is now displayed in creative ways.

“There is a magical world that only children see, and adults have forgotten,” says Georgiadou, who wishes to challenge the perception that puppet theater is intended for children alone. To prove this point, the opening of the exhibition – the first of its kind in Greece – will feature performances that are equally entertaining for young and for old alike.