Almut Schäfer-Kubelka, born in 1993, grew up in Vienna, where she took her first steps in theatre at the Karin Schäfer Puppet Theatre, run by her aunt.
From 2020 to 2025, she studied Contemporary Puppetry at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. Since then, she has worked as a freelance artist and cultural practitioner, collaborating with various artists and groups.
She has worked with independent puppet companies as well as established institutions such as Hamakom Theater Wien, Schauspielhaus Salzburg, and Theater der Jugend Wien. Her productions have appeared at international festivals and venues including the Deutsches Theater Berlin and Westflügel Leipzig. One of her favorite aspects of her profession is dramatic writing specifically for puppet theatre – something she has done both for her own projects and on commission from other theatre companies.
Puppetry ties together her writing, concepts, organisation, and performance. Since 2022, she has served on the board of the PannOpticum festival in Burgenland, becoming its director in 2026.
The Herds has shown me just how effective it can be to link the aesthetic beauty of art with political discourse. For me, art should entertain and provoke. It is a powerful and peaceful tool to inspire and motivate people to take action.
On a personal level, The Herds has opened a door to new perspectives: through friendships that extend far beyond my own horizons. I cannot imagine anything more valuable!
(Foto: Hannah Silbermayr)
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