What started as a non-profit organization in a basement in Sofielund has over time established itself as a natural part of Malmö's vibrant cultural life. Malmö Puppet Theatre is now 10 years old.

With that, we as a theatre would like to take the opportunity to pause for a moment and try to understand who we really are. At the Theatre Museum in Malmö we are holding the exhibition “Malmö Puppet Theatre - the first 10 years” where we are exhibiting puppets and set design from our history of 19 performances in total.

Over the years, Malmö Dockteater has wanted to emphasize that we are a free theater, unlike institutional theaters. What does that really mean? There is no formal mission for the “free performing arts” to fulfill. But Malmö Dockteater has taken seriously the idea of exploring the art form of puppet theater in a free way, which would not have been possible within an institution. Sometimes the projects have gone in other directions, but for us everything has been connected.

The theatre's founder, Erik Holmström, has been the author of about half of the productions. In this way, he has been able to deepen and develop his aesthetics over a decade. His performances have often had a clear basis in interpersonal interaction, which has been expressed both movingly and rigorously through puppetry.

His productions have been interspersed with projects where invited guest artists have been given free rein to design performances under the roof of the theatre. In some cases, it is the first time these artists have created theatre. In other cases, it is theatre makers who have tried something new when they have investigated a performing art based on objects, figures and images. The goal has been to create a place for grandiose experiments and curious creation. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far and look forward to 10 more years where our creative workshop can continue to develop, reach new heights and even more audiences.