Teatr Figur Kraków

Teatr Figur Kraków is a touring puppet and shadow theatre. Its mission is to create original and unique spectacles and artistic events, to seek new forms of expression and to look for modernity in the traditional puppet techniques.

TFK performs in its city of origin—Kraków, as well as on different stages and at the most important puppet theatre festivals across the world.
During its ten years activity, TFK has staged 15 original shows, and has successfully (yes, awards!) participated in great many a theatre festivals in Taipei, Seoul, Leipzig, Washington, Moscow and so on.

We feel comfortable giving shows in the world’s biggest cultural centers—and we do not shy away from performing for a handful of kids in the smallest of villages in Poland and abroad.

So far we’ve been to Washington DC, Moscow, Bielsko-Biała, Okulice, Psary, Baghdad, Seoul, Podłęże, and Jerusalem—to name just a few.
Our plays has been translated into many languages—to date, our actors performed in English, Hebrew, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Polish and German.
And we have hours and hours of video (youtube, vimeo) to prove it!

TFK rich and varied repertoire consists of a number of performances adressed both to the adults and the children of various age:

And there is a new stuff coming up all the time.
Like, always.
Seriously, we work on new performances 24/7—it’s our job, life, passion—you name it.

The TFK team (mugshots below) is mainly interested in:

  • the shadow theatre techniques (I bet, we have a few tricks up our sleeves you have not seen before)
  • the theatre paedagogy (we have a ton of hands-on experience working with childrens and adults, and our workshops are plenty of fun)
  • the social art activism (you just have to see what we are able to achieve, to believe it)

TFK branch, called Centre for Theatrical Education, on regular basis holds theatrical workshops specifically tailored for little ones, youngsters and grown-ups.

team

Dagmara Żabska

An actress, director, theatre teacher; founder and head of the Teatr Figur Kraków group with whom she performed at the most important puppet theatre festivals as well as in the smallest cultural centres in Poland and abroad (including among others Washington, Moscow, Bielsko-Biała, Okulice, Psary, Baghdad, Seoul, Podłęże). At the TFK, she is involved in shadow theatre, children's theatre and art for social causes. Graduated from the theatre studies at the Jagiellonian University, the Centre for Theatre Practices Gardzienice, she studied puppetry in Figurentheater-kolleg in Bochum. The head of the Małopolska Theatre Institute, an organization promoting theatre in small towns in the region.
Awarded the Bronze Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis. She was distinguished in the "Classics Alive" Competition for the Staging of the Old Works of Polish Literature, for directing the King Matt the First performance. Received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture in 2016.

Marta Hankus

Dramatic theorist, theatre producer, administration and finance head of the Teatr Figur Kraków. Coordinated the "Dilettante – Theatre in Motion" programme for many years, including four theatrical festivals for children and young people organized; completed a course in theatre teaching run by the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute. Received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in 2015 (a scholarship for culture promotion projects – cultural animation and education).

Agnieszka Polańska

a set and fashion designer, shadow animator. Graduated from the faculty of Film Sudies, UJ and School for Fashion Design, Kraków, Poland. Authored stage settings for "Billy the Fog" and "Huljet, huljet", and coauthored installation "Machinarium". She will build any puppet shadow you wish, and will solve all your set design issues on the fly . But she needs all the gadgets in the world and a kitchen sink for her workshops.

Alla Maslovskaya

an actress, director, theatre pedagogue; graduated from Institute of Culture, Minsk, RF (focus: theater director for children and teenagers). You may've seen her in "I am the whole world minus the whole world without me", "Pages from Mr Andersen's book", "Artistic Handicraft." A queen of special effects for shadow theater plays. Or better --- the Queen. Period.

Piotr Idziak

an actor in TFK.

Tadeusz Dylawerski

Mr Feather, an actor, puppeter, mime, theater and circus pedagogue; in 1988 graduated from the faculty of Puppetry, PWST, Wrocław, Poland and Pantomime Studium at Wroclaw Theater of Pantomime. Works in Staromiejskie Centrum Kultury Młodzieży, Kraków, Poland. You may watch him in "Winter Stories", "Roboat and butterfly", "I am the whole world minus the whole world without me". He drives bi- and monocycles.

Dominika Byrska

an actress, puppeter, graduated from the faculty of Puppetry PWST, Wrocław, Poland. She leads theater workshops for children and teenagers. Acted in play "Mały k" by Paweł Passini and "Wild swans" by Jerzy Bielunas. Cooperates with Warsaw Chamber Opera, Teatr Animacji in Poznań, Poland and TFK, where she has parts in "King Matthew the First", "I am the whole world minus the whole world without me".

Mateusz Wróbel

an actor, reciter, juggler, movie maker, cultural animator. In TFK since 2014. You may watch him in "King Matthew the First", "Robot and butterfly", "I am the whole world minus the whole world without me".