Resumo. This article provides an overview of contemporary concerns within puppet theatre, including the importance of practice as research, autobiographical work and extensions of rehearsal techniques and processes; interdisciplinary contexts for puppetry, applied puppetry and the widening perspectives of intercultural studies, including the need for more detailed analyses of non-European forms. The article also highlights the role of the UNIMA Research Commission in pursuing the objectives of contemporary puppetry research. Keywords: Puppetry. Research. Interdisciplinary.