Diplom Zeitgenössische Puppenspielkunst (Contemporary Puppetry) at Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch Berlin

Programme overview

Four-year Diplom course centred on the performer. It begins with the foundations of acting and the animation of puppets and objects, and students develop their own stories and artistic authorship from the start. It leads to the Diplom as puppeteer and performing artist, with 10 students per year group.

What you will study

The foundation phase (semesters 1 to 5) covers acting, animation and traditional puppet forms such as mask, moving-mouth puppet and marionette, extending to complex arrangements with digital media, and ends with the free Vordiplom. The main phase (semesters 6 to 8) develops each student's own theatre language, with a studio production usually made with a theatre, and free Diplom projects and ensemble Diplom in the fourth year.

Career pathways

Graduates can work as soloists, in directing teams and in theatre ensembles, and as actors in different forms of theatrical communication.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Particular artistic talent and the aptitudes and abilities needed for the profession, including sound health, completed compulsory schooling and adequate German. Preliminary selection: a dramatic role excerpt, a scene with puppets or objects and a song, plus improvisation tasks. Entrance examination: own scene with puppet, object or material, a literary scene, a song, a set text and improvisation tasks. Medical certificate and ENT voice certificate under six months old are needed for the entrance examination. Application through the online portal; the 2026 deadline was 12 October 2026 (12:00) for Sommersemester 2027.

Intake: Sommersemester

Duration: 4 years (8 semesters)

Apply through the official page: https://www.hfs-berlin.de/studium/puppenspielkunst/puppe-bewerbung/

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