It’s time to raise the curtain on a show unlike any other. To celebrate 70 years of creativity, innovation, and beloved characters, the exclusive-to-Brisbane exhibition Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company is bringing the antics of the world’s most famous puppets to QAGOMA.
This unprecedented exploration of the world-building and imaginative storytelling of The Jim Henson Company, founded by Jim and Jane Henson in 1955, will take visitors on a journey through every era of the screen’s most cherished characters, who continue to revolutionise and revitalise the art of puppetry in TV and film.
These loveable characters are a cultural touchstone all over the world, and have left an indelible mark on entertainment, education and pop culture, with everything from Fraggle Rock and Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, the edgy fantasy worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, not to mention, of course everyone’s favourites: The Muppets and the residents of Sesame Street.
As immense and immersive as the JMCU (Jim Henson Cinematic Universe), the exhibition will explore the company’s fascinating trajectory from traditional practical puppetry to more modern animatronic and digital techniques, and their ceaseless dedication to the careful craft and design of the puppets and many trailblazing developments in puppeteering.
You’ll be able to see hundreds of objects, with everything from practical puppets and animatronics to props, costumes, moving image clips and even original drawings. Plus, in a world-first, Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company will include the Great Hall set from the Emmy Award-winning television series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, taking you behind the scenes of a working puppeteer’s film set!
Practical information
Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company will run from Saturday, September 12, 2026 to Sunday, April 18, 2027.
Its opening will be a part of Brisbane Festival in September.
Tickets will go on sale on Monday, June 1, so keep an eye out!
📍QAGOMA, Stanley Pl, South Brisbane