In 2022, the NAMA Company (Mali) received one of the AVIAMA Puppetry and Mobility Grants: it supported the travel and meals of 16 young women from Mali and West Africa (including the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry and Togo) having completed an initial training cycle and an insertion tour.
A commitment to professionalization
The NAMA Company and its director, Yacouba Magassouba have decided to take up the challenge of feminizing puppetry by organizing a professional training course over two years, intended for young women, with a networking of the final production by a tour in different countries of ‘West Africa.
In 2021 and 2022, the trainees explored the whole process of creating a show through different workshops: construction, acting, manipulation, writing, designing a show to present in front of an audience (explorations of acting, manipulation, scenography, staging and dramaturgy…).
At the same time, they intervened with an audience of young people and children by training them in construction and manipulation. Nothing like transmitting to learn better!
A successful networking
Between October 31 and November 10, the show NIGELENI was presented for 8 performances in Bamako, in different places and outdoors… Then 5 performances were given in Segou and Sigasso (Mali), and in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) between November 26 and December 12, 2022.
This networking is particularly successful and has enabled these 16 young women to establish professional contacts that they can use to perfect their professional experience and work in the coming years as puppeteers!
This project has received the support of STICHTING DOEN, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the International Organization of La Francophonie, the French Institute, Founoufounou, and the KYA Cultural Networks and the African Network of Art Festivals in Space audience.
