MICROFESTIVAL
16 – 23 Aug 2026
at familiar venues across Hanoi
From the organizer:
At one point during my four years at university, I took a class called The Computational Beauty of Nature, named after Gary William Flake’s book of the same title. Both explore how the natural world gives rise to immensely complex structures through simple, recursive mathematical principles, such as those found in fractal geometry. Fractals demonstrate how intricate, seemingly infinite patterns emerge from remarkably simple rules repeated over and over again. One of their defining characteristics is self-similarity: when you zoom in on one part, you often find smaller versions of the same pattern repeating at different scales. Fractals are everywhere—from the spirals of Romanesco broccoli and the branching paths of lightning to the closing scenes of Men in Black I and II. The macro lies within the micro, and the pattern repeats into infinity.
MicroFestival is a series of little festivities celebrating the “small things” through short films, micro performances, and intimate conversations. Because who knows? Perhaps no matter how small a joy may seem, if you zoom in and look closely enough, it still looks a lot like joy.
Come join TồLô and wonderful artists from near and far as we gather in little cafés, little courtyards, little gardens, little theatres, and before little screens to discover the shapes of memory, goddesses, cities, universes, and unnamed chaos.
Artistic Director Linh Valerie Pham
Production: Khánh Linh, Thư, Linh Valerie Phạm
Technical Director: Trần Kim Ngọc
Communications: Kim Yến, Khánh Linh, Lê Thư
Advisor: Gavin Glover
Participating Artists: Cirque Obscure, Dorothy Melander-Dayton, Gavin Glover, Hoàng Dung, trăng trong góc ( Tú Anh, Sue, Sâu, K), Karla Kratch, Linda Wingerter for The Stringpullers Puppet Co., MoxHyang , Tom Lee, Papermoon Puppet Theatre
Partners: Goethe-Institut, ATH Theatre
Media Partners: Hanoi Grapevine
Through the Frame: Puppetry in Motion is a project initiated by ToLo Puppet Theatre, focusing on creatives that combine puppetry / object theatre, camera work, and live performance. The project explores relationships between theatre and moving images, where the boundaries between live performance and the screen become fluid.
SKĐA:XKQMAN unfolds in three phases:
Phase I: Online Seminar (28 Feb – 01 Mar)
Phase II: Intensive Workshop (01 – 05 June)
Phase III: MicroFestival (16 – 23 Aug)
MICROFESTIVAL – The final stop of Through the Frame: Puppetry in Motion
The project will conclude with a MicroFestival that brings contemporary puppetry and visual storytelling closer to the public through performances and film screenings held across a range of community spaces throughout the city. The festival aims to present a diverse selection of outstanding works by leading contemporary artists, of both local and international backgrounds.
The detailed schedule, locations, and registration guide will be updated continuously in upcoming posts on TồLô Puppet Theatre Facebook. Turn on your notifications and get ready with TồLô for a week full of visual surprises!
MICROFESTIVAL is organized as part of the Through the Frame: Puppetry in Motion project, supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture 2026 program.
About ToLo Puppet Theatre
ToLo Puppet Theatre is an independent theatre company based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Founded in 2023 by Linh Valerie Pham and Tran Kim Ngoc, TồLô’s artistic practice focuses on magical, unexpected and/or grotesque possibilities that puppetry arts and object theatre can offer.
Their works have been showcased at Treasure Hill Artist Village, Puppetry Art Center of Taipei, Lize Puppet Arts Colony (Taiwan), Pesta Boneka International Puppetry Festival (Indonesia), Goethe Institut Hanoi, Hanoi Children’s Palace, United Nations International School (Vietnam), Asian Youth Theatre Festival (Laos) and notably, Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting (BIPAM, Thailand).
Follow updates on event’s page.
