WITH glove, hand, rod and string, an ancient art form that dates back thousands of years is being celebrated across Scotland.

It is a theatre performance which has entertained children for generations and in the right hands, puppetry can be as exciting as the most hi-tech diversion.

Everything from shadow puppets to digital animation get their moment in the spotlight at the Puppet Animation Festival, the biggest event in the country that celebrates the variety of work currently being made.

What started as a week-long event at the Netherbow Arts Centre in Edinburgh more than 30 years ago has now spread it swings to cover the length and breadth of the country. From as far north as Breascleit Community Centre in the Isle of Lewis, there is a performance of the multi-sensory adaptation of Jean Giono's classic The Man Who Planted Trees, to the south where Pitschi, the Kitten With Dreams will be brought to life at North Berwick Community Centre.

With more than 100 events at more than 50 venues, puppetry and animation soar to new levels with a wealth of talent on display.

It is all a far cry from traditional British seaside Punch and Judy shows that trace their roots back to 16th century Italian commedia dell'arte. Though some of the animation screenings still pay homage to Gerry Anderson's television favourites from the 1960s, including the much-loved Thunderbirds.

Believed to have originated as far back as 3000 BC, the process of breathing life into inanimate objects has never failed to allure. Wire-controlled puppets made of clay and ivory have been found in Egyptian tombs and the entertainment form was practiced in Ancient Greece, as recorded by Herodotus and Xenopha in the fifth century BC.

A ritualistic art form, shadow puppetry is still performed in temples in Kerala, south India, while in Japan, bunraku developed into a highly sophisticated performance at Shinto temples.

Jim Henson's Muppets might be the most well-known grand master of puppetry of recent times but it is hard to beat the scathing satire of the 1980s Spitting Image caricatures that relentlessly mocked our political leaders on television.

Back in Scotland, fans of all things puppetry can get involved in workshops during the festival to make miniature theatres or learn how to make their own short films featuring Martian clay creature.

Let's hope we find a whole new generation to pull those strings.

Puppet Animation Festival, across Scotland, from March 28 to April 18. Visit www.puppetanimationfestival.org