For the past ten years, Matanzas province has annually held the International Puppets Workshop (TITIM by its acronym in Spanish). This year it is celebrating the 11th edition of this event.
The workshop, which will take place from April 19 through 27, offers a space for dialogue, reflection and debates between Cubans and foreigners on puppets’ theater.
The event will host workshops for professionals; for example, El cuerpo en ascua by Spanish Joan Baixas; an animation workshop on stick puppets, interactive and intercultural, by the German group Stabfiguren Company; a stop motion puppet workshop by Cuban teachers Ivette Avila and Ramiro Zardoya
There will be a community workshop with giant puppets for children and teenagers given by Argentinean Gabriela Céspedes and the community workshop Basura que juega y habla by Mexican Lizette Castro.
The Freddy Artiles theoretical event will include the participation of Animation Theatre in Brazil by Brazilian ValmorNíniBeltrame. Chico Simoes, also from Brazil, brings a conference on mameluke popular art and Alejandro Jarafrom Mexico brings Millenary Middle American Puppets. The event has also organized the presentation of books from the Ediciones Matanzas and Vigia publishing houses and a meeting with Sandglass Theater from the US.
Along with the festival, the public will be able to enjoy different exhibits such as: Títeres de ida y vuelta: Desde Las Américas a Tolosa, a photographic exhibition top ay homage to Miguel Arreche at the Provincial Art Gallery; Constelación del títere on stage element from the PapaloteTheatre at the Union Gallery;and Títeres para todas las estaciones, an exhibit on the renowned work of Zenén Caleromade 20 years ago for Teatro de Las Estaciones.
Every year this International Puppet Workshop brings together the best works in this genre from Cuban and the continent. It offers the opportunity to debate and think about the puppets’ world and the art of manipulating them on stage.
