Volkenburg Puppetry Symposium:
Session 4 – The Art of Asking

Volkenburg Puppetry Symposium 2026

Artists often regard their creative talents as a gift that they are called to share, whether they receive financial compensation or not. As a result, it can be difficult for artists to negotiate equitable compensation for their work within a money economy that tends to commodify their creative output. This symposium series examines the benefits and drawbacks of different funding sources including government funding, commercial ventures, and strategies community supported artists use for audience building.

Session 4: The Art of Asking

Puppetry is a powerful community building activity that historically functioned within the gift economy in cultures all around the world. For example, Bamana masquerades in Mali were traditionally funded by dues, local businesses, and in-kind donations. More recently, artists like Amanda Palmer have refined The Art of Asking on digital crowdfunding platforms. Palmer received over $1 million from fans to crowdfund her album Theater is Evil in 2012 but faced criticism for bringing local musicians on stage during her tour and not paying them for performing despite the fact that she had been inviting locals to participate in this way for years. How can puppetry thrive and contribute to a gift economy that builds community equitably? 

Moderator:
Paulette Richards

Panelists:
Anurupa Roy (About Ram)
Geumhyung Jeong (Oil Pressure Vibrator)
Tom Lee and Edward Einhorn (The Left Hand of Darkness)

About the Symposium: Named in honor of Little Theatre of Chicago director Ellen Van Volkenburg, who coined the term “puppeteer” in 1912, the festival’s annual symposium brings together puppetry enthusiasts, scholars and festival artists from Chicago, the U.S. and internationally for free discussions around the intersection of puppetry with other disciplines and ideas.