All Strings Attached: Pioneers of the European Puppetry Behind the Scenes

The project aimed to spread knowledge of European puppetry of the first half of the 20th century by highlighting selected figures, such as Vittorio Podrecca from Italy, Milan Klemenčič from Slovenia and Hermenegildo Lanz from Spain. Over two years (2015–2017), a travelling exhibition visited Slovenia, Croatia, Spain and Italy and numerous events, such as puppet shows, professional workshops and lectures were developed for the larger public. The project included the following detailed activities:

A travelling exhibition focusing on Milan Klemenčič and his miniature theatre, Vittorio Podrecca and his show-biz-inspired marionette puppet theatre, as well as the avant-garde puppetry by Hermenegildo Lanz who, along with the composer Manuel de Falla and poet Federico García Lorca, is thought of as one of the founders of Spanish puppetry. The exhibition was staged in 2016 in Lubjiana and in Osijek, in 2017 in Granada and in Cividale del Friuli.
Presentation of a series of shows: the opening of the travelling exhibition was accompanied by performances connected to the puppetry heritage displayed. The performances gave audience insight into the diverse national puppetry traditions and the internal workings of puppet theatre. They focused on the puppet-opera-music relationship, which was highlighted by means of the historical reconstructions of the original performances or through the interpretation. Both original puppets and copies were used, for this purpose.
Preservation and restoration workshops: these workshops introduced the role of the conservator-restorer toward the specificity of puppets, dolls and automatons. The presentation and practical exercise presented dealt with their preservation, including handling and storage, and some solutions for their exhibiting were developed.
Workshops for families and children: children were invited to build their own puppets with the guidance of a restorer and facilitator. Through a fun and playful approach, children got an insight into the puppetry heritage and an understanding of the techniques used by professionals in restoring and preserving this heritage.
Professional seminars on various topics connected to the puppet heritage: how to protect and enhance this rich artistic and cultural heritage; the role of the puppet museums and collections that succeeded in keeping the memory and the meaning of this particular art form, starting from the preservation of the materials.
Seminars on how to build audiences in culture: how to learn to analyse the context in which an arts organisation is operating and receive the necessary tools to achieve the goal – drawing in the public with an authentic story of love and passion. Different international experiences were analysed from the perspective of the Spanish company Etcétera and practical exercises were carried out in groups.
Guided tours: a series of guided tours to the museums and collection of puppetry in several countries and to the travelling exhibition.Presenting puppetry as a total work of art, the project also aimed at increasing the transnational mobility of cultural operators active in the field of puppetry (artists, puppeteers, technicians, restorers) through the exchange of good practices and by offering opportunities to younger generations working in contemporary puppetry.

(Source: EC)

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre

(Partner)

All projects of Slovenian producer

Foreign producers in the supported project

COMUNE DI CIVIDALE DEL FRIULI (leader)

Italy (EU)
SVEUCILISTE JOSIPA JURJA STROSSMAYERA U OSIJEKU UMJETNICKA AKADEMIJA U OSIJEKU (partner)

Croatia (EU)
TITERES ETCETERA SL (partner)

Spain (EU)

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