Association québécoise des marionnettistes

The Association québécoise des marionnettistes (AQM) is the professional association of puppeteers in Québec, Canada. It was founded in September 1981 and has since become the principal body representing the province's puppetry community. In 1986 it joined UNIMA, the Union internationale de la marionnette, and thereby became the Québec representative of UNIMA-Canada (Section Québec). The association is based in Montréal and, since 2018, has been housed at the Maison Internationale des Arts de la Marionnette (MIAM) at 30 avenue Saint-Just in Outremont, of which it is a founding member. The AQM's mission is to bring together artists and cultural workers active in puppetry and to create fertile spaces for discussion, promotion and the evolution of the art of the puppet. It organizes colloquia and continuing-education workshops, maintains a directory of member companies and individuals, and publishes the bimonthly newsletter Le Fil d'Ariane, which summarizes Québec puppetry activities, training opportunities, calls for proposals and more, as well as the magazine Marionnettes. In 2012 the association counted close to 150 members. Internationally, the AQM is highly active. It took part in the 21st UNIMA Congress in Chengdu, China, from 27 May to 3 June 2012, and is a regular presence at the Festival mondial des théâtres de marionnettes in Charleville-Mézières, France. It also contributed to a major exhibition of Québec puppeteers in Tolosa and Barcelona, Spain, in 2009, and has been represented in Romania, Mexico, Cuba, Germany, the Czech Republic and Australia. Its public programming includes performances, training sessions, residencies and networking events, such as the AQM creation residency programme at MIAM and the Parcours d'accompagnement en diffusion.

The Association québécoise des marionnettistes was founded in September 1981 as the professional association of puppeteers in Québec. Its creation responded to the need for a collective body capable of representing a dispersed community of artists and cultural workers and of promoting the art of the puppet within the province. A decisive step in its institutional development came in 1986, when the association became a member of UNIMA, the Union internationale de la marionnette. Through this affiliation the AQM became the Québec representative of UNIMA-Canada (Section Québec), giving Québec puppeteers a formal voice in the international puppetry movement. Over the following decades the association built a programme of services for its members: a directory of member companies and individuals, colloquia, continuing-education workshops, and publications. By 2012 the AQM counted close to 150 members. Its publishing activity includes Le Fil d'Ariane, a bimonthly newsletter synthesizing Québec puppetry activities, training opportunities and calls for proposals, and the magazine Marionnettes. International engagement has been a constant. The AQM participated in the 21st UNIMA Congress held in Chengdu, China, from 27 May to 3 June 2012. It is a regular presence at the Festival mondial des théâtres de marionnettes in Charleville-Mézières, France, and contributed to a major exhibition of Québec puppeteers in Tolosa and Barcelona, Spain, in 2009. It has also been represented in Romania, Mexico, Cuba, Germany, the Czech Republic and Australia. In 2018 the association moved into the premises of the Maison Internationale des Arts de la Marionnette (MIAM) at 30 avenue Saint-Just in Outremont, Montréal, as a founding member of that institution. This co-location anchored the AQM within a shared hub for puppetry arts. Its current programming, advertised on its website, includes performances, training courses, residencies such as the AQM creation residency programme at MIAM for 2026-2027, the Parcours d'accompagnement en diffusion, and networking events such as the Rencontre Brise-glace de la rentrée and the Laboratoire associatif de mutualisation et d'innovation coopérative.

• 2018

  Moves into the Maison Internationale des Arts de la Marionnette (MIAM) at 30 avenue Saint-Just, Outremont, Montréal, as a founding member.

• 2012

  Counts close to 150 members; takes part in the 21st UNIMA Congress in Chengdu, China (27 May – 3 June 2012).

• 2009

  Participates in a major exhibition of Québec puppeteers in Tolosa and Barcelona, Spain.

• 1986

  Becomes a member of UNIMA and the Québec representative of UNIMA-Canada (Section Québec).

• 1981

  Association founded in September 1981 as the professional association of Québec puppeteers.

Québec's reference body for puppetry: a member-driven professional association that promotes the art form locally and represents Québec puppeteers within UNIMA and on the international festival circuit.

• Le Fil d'Ariane

  Bimonthly newsletter synthesizing Québec puppetry activities, training, calls for proposals and more.

• Marionnettes magazine

  Magazine published by the association.

• Member directory

  Directory of member companies and individuals available on the association's website.

• AQM creation residencies at MIAM

  Residency programme for creation, listed for 2026-2027.

• Parcours d'accompagnement en diffusion

  Training/support programme for touring and dissemination, listed for 2026-2027.

1. 1Accueil - Association québécoise des marionnettistesmarionnettes.quebec
2. 2Association québécoise des marionnettistes — Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Association québécoise des marionnettistes — Wikidatawikidata.org