Location: Online
When:
1. October 30.10.21
2.November 13.11.21
3.November 27.11.21
Seize the opportunity to take part in a three-day practical puppetry course led by Maria Schejbal-Cytawa. The course, titled, “Puppets in Action”, will show how to combine learning with fun, creativity, and self-development.
Puppet theatre is practiced as an educational and therapeutic tool that helps to develop personal stories, express emotions, needs and thoughts, and to tackle sensitive issues. It motivates for change. The training involves manual labor in the form of creating a puppet, and brings immediate results, as well as a reward for involvement and undertaking the efforts.
During three sessions (3 x 4 hours with an hour break between two sessions) the participants will learn how to:
· build a simple puppet from ordinary materials and animate it, as well as to teach the others how to do so.
· use different objects to enhance creativity, self-expression, and courage to take up new challenges.
· apply the rules of non-verbal/visual storytelling for creating a theatrical piece and for working with the issues that vulnerable groups face.
· design and implement workshops using the methodology of puppetry art and theatre storytelling.
For those who are not familiar with puppetry art, it is usually something of a revelation that puppets can be as good in acting, as people (or even better!). They are unexpectedly easy to make, and they let us discover our own imagination and sensitivity. Simple objects and materials can be brought to life on stage, can represent any real or imaginary person/creature and any feeling, emotion, or phenomenon. Becoming alive and specific, they are at the same time metaphorical. This is the reason for why puppets are so useful in raising and discussing important issues (personal and social) on stage. They are also very good for involving in communication those who are shy or self-contained. One can always hide behind a puppet yet being able to express true feelings and emotions.
SKILLS NECESSARY TO TAKE PART IN THE TRAINING FOR TRAINERS AND TO FURTHER USE PUPPETRY ART IN NON-FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION
· Ability to communicate in English since the course will be run in English.
· Leadership skills – ability to manage and improve group dynamics and to deal with obstacles and problems arising during group work since the participants are expected to implement the new method in their own countries.
· General understanding of the use of artistic means of expression in education.
· Basic skills to use computer and work on Zoom platform.
COMMITMENTS NECESSARY TO TAKE PART IN THE WORKSHOP
· Availability for all three trainings.
· Access to necessary computer equipment and stabile internet connection.
· Motivation to evaluate own learning process.
· Readiness to work in the national team and provide national training in cooperation with respective project partner during first quarter of 2022.
· Availability to participate in either meeting in Riga or Copenhagen to improve the training and skills of the trainers (financing for the trip provided by the respective national project partner).
· Motivation to be in the leadership of the national trainers’ team and interest to share the skills for the benefit of vulnerable groups of people, especially of women that suffered the most during COVID-19 pandemic.
· Consent to engage in promotion the activities in mass and social media
A word from the workshop participant:
I absolutely loved the workshop and the manner in which you led it, encouraging us all the way. It gives instant pleasure and takes the pressure off the participant. I think it`s very interesting that in the end we all felt so connected to our own puppets, we’d built a relationship with our crushed and twisted brown paper and string! We had created characters from such elemental materials that ended up being so important to us.
Neil Packham
Community Drama Director at Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland