PETER KUS is a composer, puppet theatre director, instrument builder, and educator from Ljubljana, Slovenia. In his latest projects, he explores the field where music and theatre meet. The results are puppet/musical performances like Black Kitchen (2004), The Voice (2005), Tristan Vox (2006), A King Listens (2007), The Lost Tone (2010), The Forest of Songs (2012), 造音小子嗶叭蹦 (2014), Sound Kitchen (2015), Bumm, krach, peng (2017), Nighthawks (2020), Plastonians (2022) and Blup? (2024). He also investigates other puppet theatre techniques such as video (The Singing Castle, 2011), shadows (Wolfheart, 2015), and drama theater (Forget me not, 2018). The performances were invited to numerous international festivals and received many awards for music and originality (see below). Peter Kus is also an original musical instrument designer and builder. In September 2008 he conceived a widely appraised series of exhibitions of original musical instruments Euphonia, presented in various towns in Slovenia. From 2012 to 2015 his exhibition The Garden of Sound was presented in Reims (France), Wels (Austria), Ljubljana and Maribor (Slovenia), Šibenik, Osijek, and Rijeka (all in Croatia), Kotor (Montenegro), and Artegna (Italy).

AWARDS:

  • 2023, 22. International festial of Theater for Children, Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Forest of Songs, best music award, grand prix for best show
  • 2023, 18. Pozorište Zvezdariše, Beograd (Serbia) – Forest of Songs, award for creation and animation of puppets,
  • 2023, 2. International Festival for Children’s Theatre „Igor Madzirov“, Skopje (North Macedonia) – Forest of Songs, best music award,
  • 2023, International Theatre Festival Walizka, Łomża (Poljska), Jun. 3rd, 2023 – Forest of Songs, best music award, best performance by audience award
  • 2021, 22nd Lutfest, East Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Sound Kitchen, „Lutkobaz“ Marko Kovačević award for the original idea; “New Challenges of Puppetry Award“,
  • 2021 27th Festival of Ecological Theater, Bačka Palanka (Serbia) – Forrest of Songs – expert jury award for best overall performance, children’s jury award for best show
  • 2019 10th Slovene Puppetry Biennial, Maribor (Slovenia), Snow White – best sound design
  • 2019 10th Puppet Biennial, Bugonjo (BiH), Forget Me Not – best performance children’s jury award
  • 2019, 20th Lutfest, East Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Bumm, krach, peng, „Lutkobaz“ Marko Kovačević award for original idea,
  • 2018 15th festival Pozorište zvezdarište, Belgrade (Serbia) – Bumm, krach, peng, children’s jury award,
  • 2018 25th International Festival of Theater for Children, Subotica (Srbija) – Bumm, krach, peng, best music,
  • 2017 18th Lutfest, East Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – The Forrest of Songs, „Lutkobaz“ Marko Kovačević award for the original idea for a concept, direction, and music; „Magic of puppetry“ Radoslav Lazić award; award for best music; best show by the selection of children’s jury,
  • 2013 20th International Festival of Children’s Theatre, Subotica (Serbia) – The Forest of Songs, best music
  • 2013 24h SLUK, Osijek (Croatia) – The Forest of Songs, the award for innovation in puppetry
  • 2012 15th ASSITEJ Meeting Croatia, Čakovec (Croatia) – The Forest of Songs, Best music, Best visual appearance (of original musical instruments)
  • 2012 14th puppet festival Golden Sparkle, Kragujevac (Serbia) – The Singing Castle, best production idea
  • 2011 100, 1.000, 1.000 Stories, Bucharest (Romania) – The Singing Castle, a special award for the modernity of theatrical language and for using new media in a creative theatrical way
  • 2011 6th Biennial of Slovene Puppeteers, Maribor (Slovenia) – The Singing Castle, a special award for the use of original instruments in the theatre
  • 2010 19th Kotor Festival of Children’s Theatre, Kotor (Montenegro) – A King Listens, the best performance in the category of the new theatre tendencies
  • 2009 The 5th Biennial of Slovene Puppeteers, Maribor (Slovenia) – A King Listens, the award for originality and poetry
  • 2009 Lutfest, East Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – A King Listens – best original idea, best music
  • 2007 The 4th Biennial of Slovene Puppeteers, Koper (Slovenia) – The Voice, most original performance, best music
  • 2006 Summer Puppet Pier Maribor – The Voice, most original performance, best music

APPEARANCES AT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS: ASSITEJ World Congress, Havana (Cuba) (2023), ASSITEJ Artistic Gathering, Novi Sad (Serbia) (2023), International festival of Theater for Children, Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (2023), International Festival for Children’s Theatre „Igor Madzirov“ (2023), International Theatre Festival Walizka, Łomża (Poljska),10th Puppet Biennial, Bugonjo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2019), Tobogan, Rijeka, Croatia, (2019), Pozorište Zvezdarište, Belgrade, Serbia (2018, 2023), Festival Maribor, Slovenia (2018), Sarajevo Winter Festival, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2018), Revue of Puppet Theaters, Rijeka, Croatia (2016), Pannopticum, Neusiedl am See, Austria (2016), Sommertraumhafen, Wies, Avstrija (2016, 2023), Vukovar Puppet Spring, Vukovar, Croatia (2016), Špancirfest, Varaždin, Croatia (2015), Tainan Arts Festival, Tainan, Taiwan (2015), Fantasima, Lienz, Austia (2015), International Children’s Festival, Šibenik, Croatia (2013, 2014, 2017); SLUK, Croatia (2013 and 2015), Pupentheatertage Mistelbach, Mistelbach, Austria (2012, 2017); Kijimuna Festa, Okinawa, Japan (2012), Puppet festival Golden Sparkle, Kragujevac, Serbia (2012); Cikl Cakl, St. Michael, Austria (2011, 2016); BEMUS Festival, Belgrade, Serbia (2011); Anim’est Festival, Bucharest, Romunia (2011); 100, 1.000, 1.000 Stories, Bucharest, Romania (2011); PIF Festival, Zagreb, Croatia (2011); FigurenTheaterFestival Basel, Basel, Switzerland (2011); Kotor Festival of Children’s Theater, Kotor, Montenegro (2011, 2012, 2015, 2018); Animateka Festival, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2010); Three Are Too Many – Two – Not Enough, Plovdiv, Bulgaria (2010); KinderKinder Festival, Hamburg, Germany (2010); Lent Festival, Maribor, Slovenia (2010); Druga godba, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2010); International Children’s Theater Festival, Subotica, Serbia (2010, 2011, 2013); Pomeriggi d’inverno, Gorizia, Italy (2010); Internationales Welser Figurentheaterfestival, Wels, Austria (2010, 2012, 2013, 2017); Luagna & Losna, Feldkirch, Austria (2009, 2011, 2015); Lutfest, East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2009, 2012, 2017, 2019); Summer Puppet Pier, Maribor, Slovenia (2006, 2008, 2019); Multikids, Vienna, Austria (2008); Puppets, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2008); Puppet & Music, Gorizia, Italy (2008).

APPEARANCES AT SLOVENIAN NATIONAL FESTIVALS: Slovene Puppetry Biennial , Koper, Slovenia (2005, 2007), Bleiberg (2009), Maribor (2011, 2015, 2019), Beavers Festival, Ljubljana (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019), Pippi Longstokings Festival, Velenje (2011, 2012, 2014, 2018)