| Chandigarh plays host to International Puppet Festival |
20th Apr 2013
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A scene from the play Garbage for Plums | Photo: TS Bedi
hey are lifeless, yet on stage, they are as animated as any living being. Puppets have long occupied a substantial space in the performance traditions of many cultures and communities. These otherwise inanimate objects are powerful tools of storytelling at the hands of deft puppeteers who steer them to narrate a tale.
Chandigarh witnessed a whole new form of puppetry show from Russia, Israel and Bulgaria during the first-ever International Puppet Theatre Festival held recently under the aegis of the Union Territories' (UT) Cultural Affairs Department, along with the Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, New Delhi. This was the first time that an international puppet festival was held in Chandigarh. The occasion offered an opportunity for the city's art lovers to witness a rare puppetry show, a traditional and powerful medium of entertainment, believed to have originated 3000 years ago.
International and national puppet groups came under one roof during the three-day festival held at Tagore Theatre where they showcased their traditional and contemporary works. The festival turned out to be a sheer bonanza for city residents.
While briefing the media, a senior official of the UT Cultural Affairs Department said, "In the recent past, Chandigarh has hosted the maiden Coffee Sipping Festival, the first Street Art Festival and the International Salsa Festival, attracting enthusiasts in thousands from across the city. The International Puppet Festival was aimed at spreading public awareness about puppetry as an art form."
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