… and at the center of the issues of training and professionalization of young puppeteers.
The Titirijaï Festival, in Tolosa, will host on November 22, 2021, as part of its 39th edition, the 4 creations – 4 continents. This project, mixing training, pedagogy, meetings, professionalization for young European, American, Asian and African puppeteers began in 2019 and was noticed for its exemplary nature, and supported by various partners around the world, including UNESCO and AVIAMA.
Goals:
- To cross cultures through artistic puppetry and to contribute to intercultural dialogue by associating artists from different countries,
- To carry the values of friendship, openness and cooperation, defended by UNIMA since its creation in 1929,
- To allow young puppeteers to participate in an international adventure, with workshop cycles in different countries and a diffusion of their artistic form, while being accompanied by recognized professionals.
A project supported by many structures around the world:
The project suffered the full force of the health crisis. However, it was able to bounce back and come to fruition thanks to the important investment of the structures that accompanied it: the UNIMA Internationale, the Tas de Sable Che Panses Verte, Centre national de la Marionnette en préparation in Amiens (France), on TOPIC at Tolosa (Spain), the Synkoino Cooperative in Veria (Greece), the Theater der Nacht in Northeim (Germany) the Djarama culture center in Dakar (Senegal), the Académie Ivoire Marionnette in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), the Maison des Arts de la Marionnette, in Outremont, Montreal, Quebec (Canada), the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in Connecticut (United States), the Shanghai Theatre Academy, the Asia-Pacific, America, Africa, Europe, and UNIMA International Festivals commissions.
In total, about fifty young people have benefited from the project. They come from South Africa, Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland, France, England, Spain, Italy, the United States, Chile, Mexico, Canada and China.
More information about the project here
An exemplary project, supported by AVIAMA and UNESCO
AVIAMA supported the residency fees of young European artists in Germany, Greece and Tolosa. The jury of the Puppet and Mobility Scholarships 2019 had been seduced by the multiculturality of the project and by the issues, around the questions of training and professionalization of young puppeteers, raised by this ambitious project. UNESCO also supported the African part of the project.
Presented at two International festivals, FMTM and Titirijaï
At the World Festival of Puppet Theaters 2021, in Charleville-Mézières, the project was able to be presented, with the European creative team on set and the American and African creative teams connected remotely. The two European and American teams now have the opportunity to meet in real life at the Titirijaï2021 festival in Tolosa!
