Location: Smědčice, a little village close to Plzeň (1.5 hours from Prague).

Cost: 1,200 EUR (price includes course, accommodation on-site, and food)

Instructor: Vladimir Sosna 

There is a total of 8 spots available, interested students, please CLICK HERE to apply.

About the Course

Vladimir Sosna (“Sosna”) has been teaching puppet carving workshops for 17 years with Czech and other European students, and this year we are holding our first ever international (English language) puppet carving course.

 We will make puppets, and learn puppet technology and carving methods to bring our ideas to life. There is no pattern puppet in this course.  We ask that by May 1 you send us your ideas and some sketches and an explanation of what you want to make. We also need to know what is your inspiration, what compels you to make this piece, what is your connection to it, or the motivation for its existence.  These components will help in the process of bringing the puppet to life. And we will help you create it here.  (We also need to know up front so we can source wood, and any special hardware, etc we might need, as well as allowing Sosna to get a feel and understanding and connection for his students, your process, your projects, and to be in tune with your imagination). 

Please also tell us about your history and experience working with puppets (even if it’s none, tell us!), woodcarving, etc.  And please consider your skill level and experience when designing your puppet.

When: 

11-20 July 2025 (with arriving 9 July, and leaving 21 July)

Location: 

Participants will stay onsite in the lovely little village of Smědčice, at Sošna’s family home.  

Students need to arrive at the main train station in Plzeň (Plzeň Hlavni Nadrazi) on July 9, 2025. From there, we will bring you to Smědčice.

To get to Plzeň:

From Prague airport there is a bus, AirPort Express, bus 100, that will bring you to Prague  Hlavni Nadrazi (main station), and from there there are multiple trains that can bring you to Plzeň in about 1 hour 20 minutes (namely the Berounka train, or the Zapadni Express, more information will be sent in the welcome packet!).  It is also possible to get to Plzeň from Munich, Germany (if flying to Munich is a better option for you), there is a direct train between Munich and Prague, the Bavorski Express, the Zapadni express in Czech, and it stops in Plzeň, the train ride is about 3.5 hours.

Cost:

Cost per student is 1,200 EUR. With a 50% non-refundable deposit by April 1, 2025). The course is for around eight students, a maximum of nine.

We ask that all participants have a form of travel health insurance, since we will be working with sharp chisels and power tools.

Accommodation, food

There are enough beds for everyone, but rooms will be shared (see photos for room options). There is a bathroom and shower as well as a kitchen participants will have access to.

Food will be provided and other supplemental grocery runs can be made.  Please let us know if you have any special needs regarding sleeping situations (some beds are up stairs or ladders in lofts), or food (dietary restrictions, allergies, etc.  Most food will be available as vegetarian.)

There are small markets within walking distance, but they are not terribly close (15-20 minute walk to Chrást, the larger next village over.  The closest major city is Plzeň, a 25 minute bus ride away.)

About the instructor:

“I like people and wood."

Vladimir Sosna worked for 23 years at the Alpha Puppet Theatre as a set designer, puppeteer and for the last ten years as a carver. He has been teaching courses focusing on puppet technology since 2007 in his business “Drevo Ozije” (“wood coming to life”). Currently he continues these courses in Czech (and now English) as well as working on other ways to bring wood to life beyond puppetry.

Sosna will be assisted by Valerie Meiss, a puppeteer and builder from US who is based in the Czech Republic.

If you want to join us, please email Tato e-mailová adresa je chráněna před spamboty. Pro její zobrazení musíte mít povolen Javascript.!