2016 was a special year for us. We turned 18 and we got our own new space to further explore our puppetry encounters. Our space is at the Southern border of Delhi, 12 kilometers from the city centre. The population around is dense and semi urban.
2016 was a special year for us. We turned 18 and we got our own new space to further explore our puppetry encounters. Our space is at the Southern border of Delhi, 12 kilometers from the city centre. The population around is dense and semi urban.
These are the programs the space is currently supporting or planning to support
Mentorship Program -
In December 2017 we kick start our artists mentorship program with the mentoring of young directors from across India by the Director of Helios Theatre in Hamm, Germany, Barbara Kolling. Barbara will mentor 5 young Indian directors in creating 5 new performances using material only.
These are the programs the space is currently supporting or planning to support
Mentorship Program -
In December 2017 we kick start our artists mentorship program with the mentoring of young directors from across India by the Director of Helios Theatre in Hamm, Germany, Barbara Kolling. Barbara will mentor 5 young Indian directors in creating 5 new performances using material only.
Puppetoscope - International Puppet Film Festival
On the occasion of our 25th anniversary we organised India’s first International Puppet Film Festival. PuppetOscope is a bouquet of films that “Hero” the puppet and is carefully curated so that it generates an alternative platform for both the creators and the audience of puppetry.
The first edition of the Festival presented twenty one puppet films from eleven countries from around the world and India in three categories namely films for children, fiction films and documentary films. An accompanying exhibition showcased shadow puppets, the evolution of the moving pictures from shadow puppets to films and puppet sets and real puppets from films at the India International Center in New Delhi.
It provided a platform to discuss the current trends in puppetry, the challenges faced by the art form and artists and created a future space for the genre of puppet films in India.
Download the brochure by clicking the image above
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The festival started on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of Katkatha in 2023
Puppetoscope is an international puppet film festival conceived as a unique confluence of puppetry, cinema, and emerging visual storytelling practices. Initiated by The Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust, the festival responds to a growing need to expand the language of puppetry beyond the stage and into the moving image—bridging traditional performance forms with contemporary cinematic expression.
Puppetoscope 2023
The first edition of Puppetoscope in 2023 marked a significant step in creating a dedicated platform for puppet-based films for the first time in Asia. It brought together filmmakers, puppeteers, and visual artists to explore the relationship between material performance and screen-based storytelling.
The festival included:
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Film Screenings featuring a diverse range of puppet films across genres and geographies
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An Exhibition showcasing puppets, film stills, and process-based materials
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Hands-on Workshops introducing participants to puppet-making and performance techniques for the camera
This edition laid the foundation for dialogue between disciplines, highlighting how puppetry, rooted in tactility and tradition, can find new life through cinematic adaptation.
Puppetoscope 2025
By its second edition in 2025, Puppetoscope evolved into a more expansive and curated international platform. It broadened both its scope and ambition, reflecting deeper engagement with narrative, form, and technology.
Key developments included:
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Structured Film Categories: Documentary, Children’s Films, and Fiction, enabling a more focused curatorial approach
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International Jury Panel featuring practitioners and scholars such as Sanjana Kapoor, Shankhajeet De, and Ranjana Pandey and students jury featuring artists from Poland, France and India
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Expanded Screenings that foregrounded both traditional puppet narratives and experimental cinematic practices
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Integration with Broader Discourse, including seminars and discussions on pre-cinema devices, animation, and the historical evolution of moving images
This edition also emphasized the connections between **shadow puppetry traditions** and early cinematic technologies such as the magic lantern, zoetrope, and phantasmagoria, positioning puppetry as a precursor to animation and film.
Conceptual Framework
Puppetoscope operates at the intersection of:
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Puppetry and Cinema: Translating live, tactile forms into screen-based narratives
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Tradition and Innovation: Bringing together indigenous practices with digital tools such as VR and animation
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Materiality and Imagination: Exploring how objects, light, and shadow create meaning across mediums
The festival draws from rich South Asian and Southeast Asian shadow traditions while situating them within global histories of visual culture and moving images and modern experimental puppet films.
Puppetoscope aims to:
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Create a dedicated international platform for puppet films across the world
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Encourage cross-disciplinary collaborations between puppeteers, filmmakers, and media artists
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Foster new narratives and forms in puppet-based storytelling
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Build pedagogical and creative ecosystems through workshops, exhibitions, and critical discussions
Looking Forward
With two successful editions in 2023 and 2025, Puppetoscope continues to grow as a dynamic space for experimentation and exchange. It not only archives and showcases evolving practices but also actively shapes the future of puppetry in the age of digital and immersive media.
By bringing together shadows, objects, and moving images, Puppetoscope reimagines puppetry, not just as performance, but as a living, expanding cinematic language.