Jointly organized by UNIMA Asia-Pacific Commission, UNIMA Professional Training Commission, UNIMA China, and Nanchong Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcast, TV, and Tourism, the 2024 Puppetry Training and Exchange Symposium will take place in Nanchong, China, December 13th and 14th.

Theme: The place of tradition in contemporary puppetry. Bridges without frontiers.

Key Topics:

• Puppetry Training in China:
  • Does innovation compromise the traditional heritage?
  • How does contemporary society regard traditional theatre?
  • How does this question affect training for puppeteers?
  • How to approach professional training in the perspective of a theatre in permanent evolution?
  • Can traditional forms coexist with new forms?
  • What relation to create between traditional forms and contemporary forms, between traditional artists and contemporary artists?

Objectives:

• Address the influences of Eastern Theatre on Western Theatre in the 21st century and vice versa.
• Explore the links between tradition and contemporary forms.
• Investigate the pedagogies of new and old forms of training in Eastern and Western countries.

Technical Note:
Regrettably, the use of Zoom is not allowed in China. We will record the masterclasses and lectures, and if we have anybody who wants to see them, we could send a link to YouTube once we have the recordings. However, it will not be possible to follow them live.

Speakers and Participants:
Tang Dayu, Tito Lorefice, Tang Guoliang, Marek Waszkiel, Jiang Yuxiang, Irina Niculescu, You Tianxiang, Janni Younge, Deng Shulin, Alessandra Amicarelli, Philemon Odiambo, He Xiaoqiong, Li Long, among other specialists.

UNIMA Asia-Pacific & UNIMA Professional Training Commission