THE DANCE OF THE PUPPETS

GUEST: Rashmi Singh

"Good Design is Good Business"

-Thomas Watson Jr.

About the Guest

A PG in Design from NID, Ahmedabad, she has been working in the industry in multiple creative streams since last 10 years with popular Fashion brands and independently. Born into a family that has its roots in the villages of Bihar, she spent her childhood and teenage years around popular crafts from Bihar having a strong influence on her work.

In her own words on Moya “It is my passion and my dream, it is part of my Being”. I don’t want the customer to buy every piece, but they should be able to see the cohesion. It is not only a craft inspired label but a evolved craft store with a story where one can find the crafter and the craft in a tangible form and feel.

She is the owner of ‘Studio Moya’ Made in India by the artisans of India seeping in the traditions of India. Design for us is a story telling and we at Moya celebrate the handcrafted traditions of India in a sustainable ecosystem. The aesthetics of the label are rooted in building a future from our past and embracing innovation with art. A Zeitgeist of the age old Craft traditions of India, our products narrate the story of the makers and their journey through the product.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

With the Christmas/festive season during that time it would be interesting for kids to learn how to make their own Christmas puppets/tree hangings in the Tholu Bommalata style and decorate their trees/bedroom.

What Is Tholu Bommalata?

Leather shadow puppetry of Andhra Pradesh locally known as Tholu Bommalata, (Tholu – leather, Bommalata – puppet dance) is one of the oldest forms of performing arts.

In the dark of the night, loud beats of the drum and cries of the war horn fill the sweltering air, while glowing kings and demons fight across the flickering light. As early as the 12th century, the art of puppetry flourished in Andhra Pradesh, narrating stories of divinity, sometimes taking the divine dimensions itself. Stories from the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata were performed and went on for several nights.What gives these puppets their brilliance, is the perforated pattern on the puppets.

The puppet shows had something for everyone – divine epics for the devout; and comic relief for the distracted. Puppetry is still practiced today, especially during festivals, although it is losing context but never fails to awe the viewers eyes with its magnanimous play of art, story-telling, music and theology all in one place.

Takeaways , 1 hour session:

- A little introduction of the traditional craft, tools and technique, demonstration of puppets and how they are made.

- Learning to adapt other forms and characters to the Tholu drawing style and patterns.

- Creating a mock up with paper.

Material Required

- Any 200 GSM paper A4 size

- Decorative thread, yarn in bright colors for the string

- Beads or pom poms, optional