Puppet storytelling entertains school learners
- by Yazeed Kamaldien
Learners from a range of schools across Cape Town have been engaging with Out the Box festival where they have participated in various workshops and welcomed a jolt of entertainment with open arms.
The festival’s school programme coordinator Tahirih Cook said that 41 schools and a few children’s homes have come through the festival doors. Learners have also contributed artworks to the children’s puppetry exhibition at the Iziko Art Annexe outside the National Art Gallery in the city.
“A lot of the schools were subsidised. We hired buses. We sponsored tickets and workshop fees for some schools,” said Cook.
Grade 11 learners from Belhar High School packed the Arena Theatre for a performance of hilariously over-the-top ‘Kardiavale Conspiracy of Clowns’. This show is described as a “cabaret clown noir spectacle”. Its story shows “love and abuse underneath the guise of a second-rate carny sideshow act”.
Learners from Belhar High School meet the cast of ‘Kardivale Conspiracy of Clowns’. Photo by Yazeed Kamaldien www.yazkam.com
Aminah Raciet said that they were expecting a children’s show when they heard they’re coming to a puppet festival.
“But this show was a mixture of different things. We have a better understanding now of what theatre is,” she said.
Mishka Hendricks added: “I have never been to a theatre before. I thought it would be more plain and simple. I thought maybe it will be like a soapie. I found something that I didn’t expect. This was out of the box and original. They combined everything; acting, singing. Even the make-up was amazing. I will come to theatre again after watching this show.”
Keenon Johnson and Yazeed Balaskas said that it was the first time that they had also been to a theatre show.
“It’s the first time I came to this festival and it was fantastic. The show was original and very creative. It was fun. It was sometimes complicated but they were heading somewhere,” said Johnson.
Balaskas added: “It’s my first time to come to the theatre. It was very interesting. I would love to go to the theatre again. I live in Delft and there is no theatre there. There are people who want to act but there aren’t theatre groups either.”
Daphne Baard, a teacher at WD Hendricks Primary School in Factreton, was with a group of her learners to watch ‘Isangqa/Sirkelpad’.
Learners check out ‘Isangqa/Sirkelpad’. Photo by Yazeed Kamaldien www.yazkam.com
“We are happy that it’s a show in Afrikaans because we are Afrikaans speaking. Our children will enjoy this show more because they will understand it,” said Baard.
Out the Box festival has a range of languages, nationalities – persons from 16 countries – and cultures across its various platforms. The event closes on September 11.
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