Puppets talk of social evils
This is the first of its kind puppetry theatre project by students in Kerala, according to ASAP officials.
Kannur: A group of students and teachers here are using puppetry to create awareness among the people, especially students, against social evils, including drugs. The 30-member students of the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP) team in Government Higher Secondary School, Kunhimangalam, have started a puppetry theatre troupe to conduct an anti-narcotics campaign in schools and other institutions in and around Kannur. The students made the puppets using plastic bottles and painted and stitched cloths for them.
The show titled 'Snehapoorvam Amma' was launched by Revenue Minister E. Chandrashekharan during the observance of 'International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking' on June 27 organized in association with the excise department's anti- drug awareness campaign, Vimukthi. The show, based on an essay by famous writer Sugathakumari with the same name, is getting good response from the public.
School ASAP Skill Development executive A.P.K. Abdul Rasheed said that the puppet show was the result of a year-long effort of ASAP students. "Our students wanted to do something creative and that's how we realised the scope of puppetry as a tool to involve the target audience in the subject. As a current issue affecting the region due to the presence of drug mafia in schools, they chose drug addiction as the theme and did a lot of background work, including collection of data," he said.
This is the first of its kind puppetry theatre project by students in Kerala, according to ASAP officials. The screenplay was done by Dr Jinesh Kumar Eramam, HSS teacher in the school. Noted puppet making expert and artist Pramod Aduthila is the director. The show which has already been staged at many venues is included in the project of Kalliaseri MLA T.V. Rajesh, who secured more venues in other parts of the state.