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.
School Projects
For the founding members of Katkatha their love of puppetry began in school. Thus our focus on schools, school children and teachers has always been strong. Puppets are not just a form of entertainment for children but to make your own puppet, animate it on stage, to write the script for a puppet play or design lights and sound can be a life altering experience for a child. For a teacher, puppets can be the key to opening a world of possibilities for her students enabling them to learn in multiple ways. The arts change lives and world view. We believe in this very passionately at Katkatha.
Cambridge Primary School
Productions by school children- Jenna and Garbar Chacha, Wingless, Wizard of Oz, Panjarsala, Momotaro - Annual Plays with 128 children for Cambridge Primary School annually from 2008 to 2017.
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Neerja Modi School
Week long Puppet Workshop with 240 children in Neerja Modi School which culminated in a giant puppet parade (2008).
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Dharamshala
Tibetan teachers and children workshop organized by Govt-in-Exile at Mcleodganj in Dharamshala (September, 2009).
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Ryan International School
2-month Project with Ryan International School to create a giant puppet show called the World is My Playground as an opening act for the Intl. Children Theatre Festival (October, 2011) in Delhi and in Mumbai in 2012.
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Annual event: Teachers' Symposium
Since 2013 this day long program has been aimed at teachers of Pre-primary and Primary schools, with a focus of helping them use puppets in the classroom. Over the years the workshops have covered Shadow puppets, Material Theatre, Glove puppets and paper theatre.
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Vasant Valley and Shiv Nadar
War I Centenary- Puppetry and History Project in collaboration with Le Tas de Sable in Amiens, France. In 2014 Le Tas Sable began a unique project for children and youth that has since spanned 15 countries, across four continents. Katkatha was the Indian partner in this International program. Two schools, namely Vasant Valley and Shiv Nadar became project partners from 2014-15 and 2017-18 respectively.
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The first part was themed “Objects: what soldiers did when they were waiting” and the second was based on the theme of “Exiles”. The children were guided through three stages in both projects .
First, an introduction to WWI followed by a research of the role and condition of Indian soldiers in the war.
Second, an introduction to puppet theatre with a special focus on Bunraku and Shadow Puppets.
Third, a performance improvised, scripted and created by the children themselves that travelled to Amiens in France in 2015 and 2018.