Training Programs

Annual Puppetry Intensive Workshops

Katkatha holds two annual master-classes for beginners that are conducted by professional puppeteers and are in shadow puppetry or Bunraku style puppet animation with table top performances. These are typically between 12 -15 days and are mostly residential. The class includes puppet building, animating and performing with puppets. The location is in New Delhi or in Mussoorie. We mandate that during the master-class, the participants evolve a project that uses the skill sets taught. This project can be a live performance, an interactive installation or a puppet film. This first draft of the project is then shared during an open house. In the Katkatha studio this open house is held within the studio premises for the residents of Tanki Road. In Mussoorie, this open house is held in one of the partner schools in Mussoorie.

Mentorship Program

Since 2017 Katkatha has had artists mentorship programs with young directors from across India. The first one was in material theatre for toddlers and young audiences by Barbara Kölling, the Director of Helios Theatre in Hamm, Germany. Seven young Indian directors and one Palestinian director created eight new performances using material theatre. These shows have since been performed at festivals in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Delhi and Germany.

In 2020 Sylvie Ballion, the artistic director of Le Tas De Sable de Petit Chiffons of Amiens mentored five writer and puppet theatre groups to create original scripts for puppetry. The process was attended by groups from Delhi, Pune, Mumbai and Bangalore and led to the creation of Katkatha’s 2021 production The Nights.

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The Puppet Incubation Labs

On the occasion of its 25th anniversary Katkatha is announcing the incubation labs. These are training and metroing spaces for young puppeteers looking to build new shows for their repertoire. These include a series of short training workshops in building and animation techniques, a seed grant to build a new puppet performance and providing the selected puppeteers a final rehearsal space, support with sound and technical setups and a final space for showcasing. We will mentor performances by also providing directorial and dramaturgical inputs.

Internships

Specially created for those who wish to learn different aspects of puppet theatre, apart from building and animating puppets. This program helps young puppeteers, directors, documenters and arts managers to watch puppeteers at work, follow the creation of a production,come along on a tour or experience and be a part of the day to day running of a company. Interns volunteer to be a part or whole of one or more projects or can simply watch rehearsals. This is best suited to learn the non performance aspects of a performing arts company. No previous training in puppetry is required.

Internships are announced periodically on the Katkatha Facebook and Instagram pages for specific projects.

Trainings culminating in shows

Team Katkatha has also worked with other groups of performers to train them to be puppeteers and devised performances using puppets, masks, material etc.

ACROSS THE SEA

2013 | National School of Drama

Theatre in Education Repertory Company - Direction and Production by team Katkatha of this play for National through an 8-week training and creation process.
This show has been performed over 150 times across India.

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2019 | Sandbox Collective, Bangalore
In this collaboration, 10 artists from Bangalore started with a short workshop which developed into a process of devising story ideas, improvisations and puppet building which culminating in the performance 1..2..tree