IIAD Celebrates 20 Years of Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust with Installation Design

In its 20th edition, the Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival, scheduled from February 16 to 25, 2024, at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, stands as a global celebration of puppetry. 

Supported by the Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, the festival has been a cornerstone in promoting public awareness and appreciation of puppetry since its inception in 2001.

Guided by Dadi D. Pudumjee, the distinguished director, designer, puppeteer and the founder of Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, students from diverse design disciplines at IIAD came together for this collaborative project. Under the mentorship of Shaaz Ahmed, Associate Professor of Communication Design, alongside Josh P. S. and Pankaj Narain, Associate Professors of Foundation in Design, and with support from 11 additional faculty mentors, the students curated 11 distinctive installations to mark the festival's significant 20th milestone. 

Strategically positioned across the courtyards of the India Habitat Centre, these installations pay homage to the 20th anniversary of the Ishara Foundation. 

Exploring a rich palette of mediums, materials and textures, they not only honour the festival but also serve as photo opportunities for attendees. 

The installations themselves are diverse in their representation. From hand-weaving stories to dancing figures forming the number 20 and masks composed of faces from participating countries, each puppet evokes a unique tale.

A totem pole explores the perception of performance art through multiple senses, while a mouth with a long red tongue adds a touch of whimsy. A caricaturist-stylized cartoon 3D model in a distorted form makes the number 20, and another installation features iconic figures like Marilyn Monroe, Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin. 

Dadi Pudumjee's workshop set a benchmark for IIAD students, serving as both a learning experience and a springboard for developing their unique identity in the world of puppetry. 

Bringing puppeteers from India and 15 other countries together, the festival epitomises a vibrant celebration of puppetry and collaborative art, showcasing the tangible storytelling tools that have defined the foundation’s journey. Inspired by the festival's theme of the number 20 and IIAD's theme of solidarity, these installations also represent the coming together of different countries.

The festival's opening night began with Theatre Arketel’s "Wings and Roots," a puppetry rendition that breathed life into Stefan Zweig's 'The Legend of the Third Dove.' In the play, Noah's trio of doves take flight from the Ark during the great flood: one returning empty-handed, another with an olive branch, heralding life's resurgence. But the third dove vanishes, leading the audience on a journey across the newly reborn earth. 

Brazil's Theatre Pia Fraus presented "Air Giants Circus," blending hand and shadow puppetry. This witty show transplanted from 17th-century Spain to 21st-century Brazil during Pernambuco's carnival. Arrested, mistaken for illegal immigrants, the characters embark on a comical escapade, encountering local Mamulengo characters in a merry mix of misadventures.

The US-based Kurt Hunter Marionettes presented "Penguin in my Pocket" as the third play of the evening. The main heroine, a snappy and brilliant penguin scientist, experiences a malfunction with her experimental jetpack, resulting in a crash landing in a spooky jungle. This one-of-a-kind show, featuring marionettes, rod puppets, live concertina music, highlights the importance of imagination in both science and art. 

Novosibirsk Regional Puppet Theatre presented "Petrouchka," a lively performance that brought Russia's most famous puppet character back to life. In this celebratory adaptation, Petrushka, known for his rudeness and pipsqueak voice, takes on a colourful journey filled with mischief and redemption. From encounters with the devil to finding true love, Petrushka's antics unfolded as short comic vignettes, accompanied by colourful puppets and foot-tapping music.

Taiwan's Puppet on the Workbench presented "Hiss and Arf," a comedy-packed performance portraying the humorous adventures between an owner and his two mischievous pets. With wordless storytelling and traditional Taiwanese glove puppetry techniques, the show depicted the age-old battle between a dog and a cat, filled with hilarious conflicts and misunderstandings.

Sri Lanka-based Mango Friends Puppet Society presented a "string puppet show," continuing the legacy of Ganwary Podi Sirina, a founder of Sri Lankan traditional string puppetry. In this production, his great-grandson Indika, along with his 10-year-old son Sanush, carried on the family tradition from the village of Ambalangoda in the island's south showcasing Sri Lanka's rich cultural heritage.

South Korea's Culture Art Bakery FFWANG presented "Hong Dongji Isimi," a slapstick performance inspired by traditional puppetry styles like Punch Judy and Italian Guaratelle. The story followed Hong Dongji and his friends as they faced misfortunes and defeated the monstrous Isimi with dance moves. Confronting the corrupt magistrate, the tale unfolded with a surprising twist, revealing the essence of heroism. 

Brazil-based Trapusteros Teatro performed "Mamulengo de la Mancha and Marieta and the Bumba Bull" in a witty satire show that blended Miguel de Cervantes's Spain with Brazilian Northeastern culture. Don Quixote and Sancho's 17th-century adventure took an unexpected turn to 21st-century Brazil, where they faced arrests, escapes and merry misadventures with Mamulengo characters like Simao and Sargento Peinha. 

India's Ishara Puppet Theatre presented "Be Yourself," a puppetry adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's Ugly Duckling as the evening's final performance. The story followed the duckling's journey to find acceptance, encountering characters from different backgrounds. Despite facing societal pressures and challenges, it discovered that its true beauty lay within. Crafted from regional Indian textiles, each puppet celebrated India's weaving traditions.

Dadi Pudumjee expressed gratitude to Dr. Jitin Chadha (Founder and CEO), Prof. Usha Nehru (Director-Academics), Shaaz Ahmed (Associate Professor - Communication Design), Pankaj Narain (Associate Professor - Foundation in Design) and Josh P.S. (Associate Professor - Foundation in Design) for guiding students in transforming their ideas into reality. He also mentioned a special thanks to IIAD for facilitating this collaborative endeavour.