Art of storytelling: Exploring the world of puppetry
Thespianz String Puppetry Festival to host 300 performances across the city
AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Thespianz Theatre is all set to revive the dying art of string puppetry during its new festival which started on Thursday.
‘Thespianz String Puppetry Festival’ endeavours to charm both old and young audiences and raise awareness regarding complex issues engulfing society. As many as 300 performances will be held across the city till January 2017. The first performance was held in Abbas Town.
“We have been working on the theatre since 2005 and have raised different issues including women empowerment and folklore,” said Thespianz Theatre artistic director Faisal Malik while speaking at the event’s press briefing at Pearl Continental Hotel on Wednesday evening.
A board member of the group, Barrister Shahida Jamil, said, “Our heritage is a priceless treasure. I remember when I was young I would listen to tales depicted through puppets be it stories of Alif Laila or Sheikh Chilli.” We need to revive this art form, she added.
Muttahir Ahmed Khan, media director of Thespianz Theatre, said, “A nation, any nation for that matter, thrives on the roots of promoting theatrical and creative arts.”
The festival will continue till three months and showcase cultural dances of the four provinces, the play Sindbad in local schools and the folklore of Saiful Mulook in colleges and universities and various auditoriums across the city.
“These stories that we are planning to narrate will purely be based on our culture. Pakistani arts need to be projected,” remarked Thespianz Theatre associate director Noman Mehmood.
Malik touched upon the fact that they will be paying visits to 79 low-income areas of the city with little or no entertainment and recreational facilities, such as Muslimabad, Azizabad, Hijrat Colony, PIB Colony, Gulzar Hijri and Ibrahim Hyderi.
Thespianz Theatre has collaborated with Karachi Youth Initiative to bring out String Puppetry Festival on the streets of Karachi, Malik informed.
The event concluded with a performance of the cultural dances from all the four provinces.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 28th, 2016.
Thespianz Theatre is all set to revive the dying art of string puppetry during its new festival which started on Thursday.
‘Thespianz String Puppetry Festival’ endeavours to charm both old and young audiences and raise awareness regarding complex issues engulfing society. As many as 300 performances will be held across the city till January 2017. The first performance was held in Abbas Town.
“We have been working on the theatre since 2005 and have raised different issues including women empowerment and folklore,” said Thespianz Theatre artistic director Faisal Malik while speaking at the event’s press briefing at Pearl Continental Hotel on Wednesday evening.
A board member of the group, Barrister Shahida Jamil, said, “Our heritage is a priceless treasure. I remember when I was young I would listen to tales depicted through puppets be it stories of Alif Laila or Sheikh Chilli.” We need to revive this art form, she added.
Muttahir Ahmed Khan, media director of Thespianz Theatre, said, “A nation, any nation for that matter, thrives on the roots of promoting theatrical and creative arts.”
The festival will continue till three months and showcase cultural dances of the four provinces, the play Sindbad in local schools and the folklore of Saiful Mulook in colleges and universities and various auditoriums across the city.
“These stories that we are planning to narrate will purely be based on our culture. Pakistani arts need to be projected,” remarked Thespianz Theatre associate director Noman Mehmood.
Malik touched upon the fact that they will be paying visits to 79 low-income areas of the city with little or no entertainment and recreational facilities, such as Muslimabad, Azizabad, Hijrat Colony, PIB Colony, Gulzar Hijri and Ibrahim Hyderi.
Thespianz Theatre has collaborated with Karachi Youth Initiative to bring out String Puppetry Festival on the streets of Karachi, Malik informed.
The event concluded with a performance of the cultural dances from all the four provinces.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 28th, 2016.