Adults with disabilities create a puppet theater in Belgium

Staff and residents at Les Goélands, a daycare center for adults with physical and mental disabilities in Couvin, Belgium, spent a year creating a puppet theater production.

The project involves a series of performances scheduled to run for two months starting in December 2026. Anne Berlaimont, an educator at the center, led a team of four colleagues and several residents to design the show. The group used recycled cardboard, wire mesh, and papier-mache to build the scenery and characters.

The production features about ten puppets, including one based on Jean de Lafontaine, whose fables inspired the script. Residents participated by recording the show's soundtrack and creating specific elements of the scenery, such as drawings of frogs and snails. The team specifically designed the theater to be inclusive for performers using wheelchairs. They built a curved set and a specialized pit that allows people in wheelchairs to move underneath and operate the puppets through openings.

The final backdrop measures over six meters wide and three meters deep. Eight performances are planned for December and January, with tickets priced at 5 euros for children and 10 euros for adults.