Introduction
The Africa Commission is dedicated to promoting and preserving African puppetry arts. It aims to revitalise indigenous traditions, foster innovation, and build a strong network of puppetry centres and practitioners across the continent. Through collaboration, education, training, festivals and cultural exchange, the Commission aims to preserve endangered puppetry forms, support local artists, and showcase Africa’s vibrant puppetry heritage to the world.
The Africa Commission aims to foster the growth, preservation, and promotion of puppetry arts across the continent through a series of strategic initiatives for the year 2025-2029. Its core objectives are as follows:
Objectives
- Establishment of New UNIMA Centres and Coordination of Activities
- To identify zones within Africa that would benefit from dedicated puppetry centers.
- To support the creation of new UNIMA Centres in these areas, ensuring they serve as hubs for artistic exchange, training, and community engagement.
- To facilitate effective coordination among existing and newly established centers to promote best practices, share resources, and organize joint events and performances.
- Encouragement of Formal Registration and Physical Presence
- To motivate and assist centers in registering officially within their respective countries, ensuring they are recognized as legitimate Unima Centers.
- To promote the establishment of physical addresses for these centers, which will enhance their visibility, credibility, and accessibility to the public and potential collaborators.
- Revitalization of Existing Centres
- To assess the current status of established puppetry centers and identify areas needing revitalization.
- To provide support, such as funding, training, and resource sharing, to breathe new life into Africa Commission, ensuring sustainability and relevance in contemporary cultural landscapes.
- To foster and increase public interest in puppetry arts through outreach and engagement programs.
- Organization of Training Programs
- To develop and implement comprehensive training initiatives through the dedicated Training Commission.
- To focus on specialized areas such as “Provocation Roots and Wings,” which may include foundational puppetry techniques, innovative storytelling methods, and advanced manipulation skills.
- To build capacity among puppeteers, educators, and cultural practitioners, ensuring the transmission of traditional knowledge while encouraging new innovative practices.
- Promotion of African Heritage and History of Puppetry
- To research, document, and showcase the rich heritage and diverse history of puppetry across African cultures.
- To organize Festivals, performances, and publications that celebrate the cultural significance and artistic diversity of African puppetry traditions.
- To foster pride and awareness of indigenous puppetry forms among local communities and the wider world.
- Protection of Endangered Puppetry Forms
- To identify and document various puppetry styles and techniques.
- To implement preservation strategies including archiving, training, and community engagement to safeguard these endangered traditions.
- To advocate for policies and initiatives that support the continuity of diverse puppetry practices across Africa.
- Strengthening International and Intercontinental Cooperation
- To foster partnerships and collaborative projects between African Commission, and other commissions and continents.
- To facilitate cultural exchanges, joint performances, and shared research initiatives that enhance mutual understanding and appreciation of puppetry arts.
- To position Africa as a vibrant and innovative hub within the global puppetry community, promoting cross-cultural dialogue and artistic innovation.
Programme and Activities
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Roots & Wings Workshop in Mali
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Roots & Wings Workshop in Kenya
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Provocation Academy with the Professional Training Commission