The call for applications for the 2026/2027 residencies is now open!
The Pôle offers 4 residency programmes: Creation residencies, Graduate residencies, residencies in Nurseries and Research residencies, as well as a programme to support employment of young graduates.
As a major centre for puppetry arts, the Pôle International de la Marionnette – Jacques Félix supports artistic creation and research at both national and international levels.
Through its residency programme, the Centre aims to support puppeteers in the creation and production of new works, assist recent graduates of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette – Margareta Niculescu (ESNAM) in their first professional steps, enable artists to create and experiment in a “research-creation” dynamic, particularly through the concept of an “artistic crèche”, encourage fundamental research, support educators who wish to consolidate the theoretical and scientific basis of their teaching and, finally, strengthen the links between the research and creative communities.
In doing so, the Pôle ensures a strong and visible presence for puppeteers and researchers, embedding puppetry as a living, evolving practice within the city and region.
At its core, ESNAM fosters research, experimentation, and professional training. The puppeteer-actor curriculum benefits from ongoing critical reflection and interdisciplinary exchanges surrounding puppetry arts.
The call for applications for the 2026/2027 residencies is open from 9 March to 3 May 2026.
Creation residency
The Creation residencies support the development and production of artistic works by professional puppeteers with diverse aesthetics and artistic languages. These residencies are intended for professional puppetry artists.
Graduate residency
The Graduate residencies aim to support the professional integration
of recent graduates from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette – Margareta Niculescu (ESNAM), by helping them develop their first artistic projects. These residencies are open to ESNAM graduates within three years of receiving their diploma.
Residency in Nursery
This unique residency format — one of a kind in France — is the result of a partnership with nurseries. It offers artists the chance to explore creation and experimentation with very young children in a research-creation context. The residencies in Nurseries are open to professional puppetry artists working on projects intended for children aged 0 to 3 years.
Research Residency
These residencies are open to individuals conducting a research project intended for publication (e.g., articles, theses, dissertations). Consideration will be given to applications from young doctoral researchers and ESNAM teachers who wish to undertake research that could enrich their teaching.
Employment support
This programme is intended for companies/structures that hire a recent ESNAM graduate (within three years of graduating from ESNAM) as a performer, builder or assistant director, for a paid period of at least 150 hours.
Selection timetable and procedures
- Applications are open from 9 March to 3 May 2026.
- Projects will be selected by a committee composed of the Pôle’s permanent team.
- The selected projects will be announced in early June.
A formal agreement will specify the residency’s conditions and the commitments of the selected team or researcher and the Pôle.
Applicants may submit proposals to multiple residency types but may only be awarded one residency.