Why a 72-year-old teacher is teaching teachers how to use puppets to tell stories

Why is 72-year-old Latha Satagopan so passionate about using puppetry in education? He firmly believes that this is the appropriate technique for storytelling. And storytelling in turn is an effective means of communication. “Puppets are an ideal educational tool for the age group of 9-14 years. A puppet is not just a doll or a toy. It has life in it and can take the place of a human being,” she explains.

“A storyteller has the option of using plain narrative or combining it with a visual medium such as drama or puppetry. In a simple story, the narrator should be very expressive with the words and the children should understand exactly what is being said. This understanding is facilitated by the use of puppets. In fact, I use talking puppets sparingly. The message should come through puppet plays, action,” she explains.

Latha has been committed to making innovative and socially relevant puppetry for the last 37 years, and has earned a reputation in India and abroad. She trains teachers in puppetry at institutes as well as training colleges such as Mount Carmel and Christ University in Bangalore. Plus, she conducts workshops for kids and adults alike to share her passion for puppetry.

Latha’s thematic puppetry performances, conducted both online and offline, imbibe the principles of ‘theatre in education’ with her practice of storytelling and scriptwriting. She uses these to fuel her passion for revitalizing the art of storytelling through puppetry, and has received a state award as an innovative puppetry teacher.

behind the scenes

Latha recalls that her passion for drama and literature developed during her school days in Bengaluru. With the support of her teachers, she would set up plays on topics such as world culture, act out entire poems, and found her school’s puppet theatre. As an introverted child, she notes, she finds it soothing to be able to speak from behind a screen.

“An exciting period in school life was when (English actor) Jennifer Kendall and her family came to our school to conduct workshops. We were exposed to Shakespearean theater for three years. Since we were a small group, we had to Got the best of interpersonal contact,” explains Lata.

After completing her B.Ed and MA in English, Latha became an English language teacher at the Women’s Peace League School, where she taught for 12 years. She used to get actively involved in the staging of plays at school, which she enjoyed. The exposure to drama early in life changed his thought process. As a teacher, it inspired her to try new things.

‘How I Became a Puppeteer’

The turning point in his life and career came when he was asked to represent his school and the state of Karnataka in 1986 at a 45-day puppetry training program held in Shillong. This program was organized by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training). ), New Delhi.

This was his first introduction to the outside world. There were around 100 teachers from all parts of the country, and the theme was national integration, with the participants learning patriotic songs.

“It was a pleasant experience. I came in contact with puppeteers from different fields and we would exchange our skills and training experiences. Renowned puppeteers were our mentors.

“After the programme, I received a certificate saying that I had been trained in the ‘educational use of puppetry’. The participants had to come back and spread the message of integration in their states. was selected as a resource person in puppetry for the arts,” says Latha. Thereafter, she attended conferences and presented papers for NCERT.

Tapping into your ‘inner child’

According to Latha, making puppets and participating in puppet shows improve children’s communication, interpersonal, literacy and motor skills. It is also therapeutic as it taps into the ‘inner child’, and enhances both creative and critical thinking skills.

“Involving in puppetry brings about positive behavioral changes and also improves socialization,” insists Latha.

As an educational tool, puppetry also makes learning more interesting for children, and develops observation skills in children. “This media is powerful because of the visualization, movement or action involved, and because it facilitates language development,” she explains.

Two events have given a boost to puppetry in India. according to National Education Policy 2020, which suggests experiential learning (learning by doing an activity) for all age groups, the central government has launched a toy to help school children in the age group of 3 to 18 years understand basic concepts of science and maths. -based pedagogy, as well as develop sensory and motor skills. Along with blocks, puzzles, masks and sand art, puppets are to be used by schools as tools to teach children.

Another development which in Latha’s opinion bodes well for the future of puppetry in India is that the art has been included in the B.Ed curriculum for the last few years. “I was asked to address 100 students who had enrolled for the B.Ed course on Puppetry. We made a puppet out of newspaper. Puppets can be used to teach English, maths, science and social studies,” she says.

Twist Ending, Creativity Unlimited

The themes of puppet shows are usually socially relevant such as personal hygiene, Swachh Bharat, health issues, community life, national integration, children’s behavior during COVID, career counseling and guidance, and messages to protect the environment.

Lata also involves children to write scripts around them. They have designed theme kits with puppets for themes like Shapes, Rainbow Colours, Food Chain, Swachh Bharat and National Integration.

Sometimes Lata does shows based on books. He has created puppet shows based on ‘The Little Red Hen’, ‘Three Little Pigs’, ‘Birbal’s Porridge’ and The Christmas Story.

She narrates an interesting incident. “We were enacting the story of the lion and the hare and how the hare overpowers the lion and runs away. In the traditional story, the lion falls into the well and dies. But, there was a twist in the tale, the children decided that they wanted to teach the lion a lesson but did not want him to die. So, at their end, the lion emerged well-repentant. Even Lata was not aware of this change!

‘Bliss and Meaning’

While there are many styles of puppetry, Lata specializes in ‘glove puppetry’, where the relationship between puppeteer and puppeteer is close. When she is giving a demonstration on puppetry, she also shows how to use string, spoon, and leather puppets. She says different energy levels are needed depending on the style of puppetry.

“Puppets are generally made of paper, thermocol and cloth. I use handmade paper and as a result, the puppets have lasted for years despite wear and tear due to being used by children,” says Lata.

He also likes to combine storytelling with songs, which makes his shows more interactive, as the audience can sing along. Each performance required a maximum of three days of rehearsal. Sometimes she carries a makeshift screen with her. In others, she improvises on set with tables and sheets. He has to choose the right indoor place as the voices will not travel in the open.

“In 1992, we were to perform at the Visvesvaraya Museum on the theme of space. I was thinking how to show the stars or the rocket fly. We were helped by the museum team to prepare a slide show that runs parallel to the puppet show. It was an innovation that has helped me on many occasions. I used it when I helped a group of children put on a puppet show at a community event on infectious diseases at St. John’s Medical College,” says Latha.

Recorded voices are not used in puppetry, as live voices make the performance more engaging. But Lata has introduced recorded music in some performances instead of a live orchestra.

“Puppets bring joy and meaning to my life in many ways. I am sharing my passion with others. I am constantly innovating and getting more creative. For example, I am now involved in using puppetry to present the different types of masks in India. My job involves a lot of research, which I enjoy doing. I also feel that I am contributing to the popularization of the skill of puppetry. Karnataka is famous for its puppetry, but it is not recognized enough. Along the way, I am encouraging new puppeteers,” she says.

Edited by Divya Sethu, Photo credit: Lata Satgopan