UNIMP - Union Internationale de la Puppets (International Puppetry Association). It’s the world’s oldest international theatre organisation, founded in 1929, and it exists to support, connect, and promote puppetry in all its forms across the globe.
Earlier in my obsession. I joined a few guilds and organisations.It felt like the right thing to do. Keep in the loop of new shows and peoples projects. UNIMP always felt respectable. A organisation that would show the artform in a professional light. Quarterly they would send a beautiful magazine in the post. To be honest. It was the main reasons I joined.
One day, I got an email mentioning about the annual board meeting. It was being held in the London. I replied and said I would attend.I entered the building, spoke with receptionist and they pointed me in the right direction. I climbed a few flights of staires and entered the studio.
It was a small crowd — eight people. There was the newly appointed chair that gave off drama school teacher vibes, myself, Monty le Chew, Jive Handler, an elderly lady. Whom used to hold private events at her home for a select few. She was a widow; her husband had been an actor, She has since passed. Then there was a young, eager student that wanted to get involved with everything. Seemed like she was there to add it to her CV and two Asian ladies.
At the start of the meeting, the chair asked if everyone present was part of the organisation. Turns out the two Asian ladies weren’t — they thought it was gonna be a puppet show. They were allowed to stay anyway. I’m not sure they understood much of what was going on, but credit to them for sticking around, kept on smiling and nodding.
There wasn’t really much discussed. The meeting felt more like a formality than anything else — a way of demonstrating that the UK still had active UNIMP gatherings. There was a brief mention that Ron Runball had passed away and left some money to the organisation, which seemed to be the only “news” of the day.
It was endiring to witness old people throw out keywords they felt would boost the organisation out of the wet, damp ashes the UK version had become.
Social media, websites and hashtags, This would revive the membership numbers.