On October 6, 2026, the Javier Aranda Company was awarded the Audience Award at the FIT Madriz 2026 for their performance of 'Saeta'. This festival, which serves as the summer program for the Retiro Puppet Theatre, attracted over 3,000 attendees between August 20 and 31.

FIT Madriz, organized by the Area of Culture, Tourism, and Sports, annually features national and international puppet theatre, visual theatre, and object theatre aimed at both family and adult audiences. The festival aims to promote and recognize these performing arts disciplines.

This year marked the inaugural presentation of the Audience Award, which honors the highest-rated performance as evaluated by festival attendees. 'Saeta' received an impressive score of 4.70 out of 5, the highest in this edition, earning it the prestigious recognition.

'Saeta' is a visual tragicomedy that pays tribute to the craft of puppetry while exploring profound themes such as the fragility of life and the transformative power of performance. The narrative begins with a flower, a saeta (a type of traditional Spanish song), and a coffin, leading to a poetic and suggestive piece where Aranda reflects humorously and sensitively on the deep meaning of theatre and the role of the performer. The show also plays with the concept of the stage as a sacred and ephemeral space where anything is possible.

About Javier Aranda

Javier Aranda, an actor and puppeteer, trained at the Zaragoza Theatre School and boasts over 20 years of professional experience with companies such as Teatro del Temple, Teatro Arbolé, Teatro Gayarre, and the Dramatic Centre of Aragon, among others. He has also appeared in various short films. Throughout his career, Aranda has balanced his work as an actor with that of a puppeteer, later developing a series of original performances that have garnered acclaim from audiences, critics, and professionals in the puppet theatre arts.