After “Spotlight on the puppetry in Africa”, a project carried out by UNIMA with the Centre Djarama (Senegal) and Ivoire Marionnette (Ivory Coast), and supported by the program of participation of UNESCO 2020-2021, the commission Africa of UNIMA proposes the project “The puppetry of tomorrow in Africa – Dramaturgies and digital experiments”, for the period 2022-2023.
It is with the National Centres of the UNIMA in Tunisia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, South Africa and Togo, and with the National Center in prefiguration in Uganda, that is developed this project of training aiming to touch 13 countries of Africa.
With these new partners, it is a wider representation of the African continent that is at work, but also of the puppetry and the linguistic representation, since the trainings proposed on the occasion of this project are proposed, according to the organising country, in French or in English.
Dramaturgies and digital experiments
The proposed sub-theme, “Dramaturgies and digital experiments”, is revealing of the need of the African puppeteers to be able to write for the puppetry, but also to be able to spread their creation in a way or another.
The trainings take place on different times, proposing two distinct trainings for the French-speaking countries, and a cycle of three trainings tending to the realisation of small digital formats for the English-speaking cycle.
Trainings
The first trainings proposed explore the work of writing.
From February 10 to 14, 2023, UNIMA Tunisia proposes a training in French with the theme “Writing for puppetry”, which takes place in parallel with the training organised by Uganda in English “Dramaturgy and writing a script”.
Then from March 6 to 10, 2023, the UNIMA South Africa proposes the training in English: Visual creation, construction, and manipulation.
In this continuity, Burkina Faso and Togo propose, from the 10 to the 16 May 2023, a common training in French: “Dramaturgy of the puppetry for the public space”.
Finally, Kenya comes to close the anglophone cycle with a training on “Puppetry for television and digital platforms”, from 16 to 20 of May.
This hybrid project is made between presence and digital, to benefit participants who are far away in space, and to adapt to the changes in society. Its main objectives are to consolidate the puppeteers of the African continent on the dramaturgical level, and to test new formats of training and presentation by considering the digital revolution at work today.
The trainings are led by experienced trainers, both African and non-African. The African National Centres wishing to make their members benefit from these trainings must apply and then constitute a group accompanied by a tutor who will relay, on the spot with the group, the distance trainer.
Calendar of trainings
Cycle in English
1/ Uganda: dramaturgy and script writing / February 10 to 14, 2023
Trainer: Malina Prześluga (Poland)
2/ South Africa: Visual creation, construction and manipulation / March 6 to 10, 2023
Trainer: Janni Younge (South Africa)
3/ Kenya: Puppetry for television and digital platforms / May 16 to 20, 2023
Trainers: Fedelys Kyalo (Kenya) and Phylemon Odhiambo (Kenya)
Trainings in French
1/ Tunisia: Writing for puppetry / February 10 to 14, 2023 (digital format only)
Trainer: Hassen Mouadhen (Tunisia)
2/ Burkina Faso / Togo : Puppetry dramaturgy for the public space / May 10 to 16, 2023
Trainer: Athanase Kabré (Burkina Faso) and Alessandra Amicarelli (Italy)
All these trainings have a digital part to allow the participation of the National Centres of the African countries that are not direct partners of the project.
It is planned that they will be completed with contributions from trainers invited by the UNIMA Professional Training Commission who will share their knowledge on this art through conferences.
Consult the calls for applications available:
- Training ” Writing for puppetry ” (in French) – February 10 to 14
- Training ” Dramaturgy and script writing ” (in English) – February 10 to 14
Questions/information: mario.puppet-africa@unima.org // www.unima.org
The project “Tomorrow’s puppetry in Africa” is supported by UNESCO and coordinated by UNIMA Internationale in cooperation with its commissions “Unima Commission Afrique” and “UNIMA-Professional Training Commission“, and in partnership with the National Centres of UNIMA in Tunisia, Togo, Kenya, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Zambia, Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, Benin, Burundi with the representatives of UNIMA Uganda and Tanzania.
Keep informed of puppetry actualities in Africa in the Facebook group: UNIMA Commission Afrique