Uzun has created puppets using a variety of techniques for theater productions as well as designing stage accessories for performances.
Award-winning puppet maker Filiz Çankaya Uzun is helping preserve Türkiye’s traditional puppetry through her work at Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality City Theaters, where she designs puppets and stage props while teaching the craft to new generations.
Uzun, 49, has worked as a puppet and theatrical prop artist at the city theaters since 2021. Her interest in puppetry began in childhood with toy puppets, but she decided to pursue it professionally after watching children enthusiastically engage with puppets during a family event attended by her son.
A graduate of the Ceramics Department at Ege University, Uzun received the title of “puppet-making artist” from the Culture and Tourism Ministry in 2021. Since then, she has created puppets using a variety of techniques for theater productions as well as designing stage accessories for performances.
Alongside her work for the theater, Uzun organizes hands-on workshops for children and adults, introducing participants to traditional Turkish puppetry while teaching techniques such as shadow puppets, hand puppets and wooden puppets.
Her puppet and stage designs enrich the visual world of theatrical productions, while her educational activities help ensure that the centuries-old craft is passed on to future generations.
Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Uzun said she has trained hundreds of participants during her workshops, with children’s groups typically consisting of 30 to 40 attendees. She added that nearly 1,000 puppets have been produced during the workshops to date.
Uzun emphasized that puppetry occupies an important place in Turkish cultural heritage, noting that iconic characters such as Karagöz, Hacivat and İbiş represent far more than entertainment, serving as cultural figures that have historically reflected social issues.
She said her performances combine traditional techniques with contemporary approaches, particularly through interactive workshops where puppets communicate directly with children.
“In our interactive puppet workshops, we explore different subjects with children. It is not me discussing these issues with them, but my puppet. This allows us to establish stronger communication while bringing our traditional puppetry into the present day,” she said.
Uzun also stressed that live puppet performances have a stronger impact on children than screen-based experiences, although digital technologies are useful for promotion and archiving.
She argued that puppetry should not be viewed solely as entertainment for children, noting that it is widely used as an effective communication tool in fields ranging from preschool education to psychological counseling.
“When we think of puppets, children usually come to mind. In fact, puppetry is an important art form that appeals to people of all ages and strengthens communication. I believe it deserves greater recognition and appreciation,” she said.
