| The Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop
is constructing a Museum of Puppetry in Lahore with a library of theatre.
This project will bring together puppets from all the nations to be displayed
at one place.
It will be a unique museum where the master pieces of international puppeteers from different cultures and backgrounds will be exhibited for students, connoisseurs and followers of this art form. |
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During the three international puppet festivals held in 1992, 1994 and 1996 - in which nearly 722 foreign delegates from 33 countries from 98 groups participated - the Museum was set up in a makeshift space for a period of 11 days. A large and cheerful group of fans participated in a colorful walk to the Governor’s House during the 2nd Festival to demonstrate their commitment to the Museum of Puppetry.
The overwhelming response from the audience of both the international festivals is the motivation behind the setting up of a permanent Museum of Puppetry. The setting up of the First Puppet Museum of Pakistan will be a major step forward in the development of this art form in Pakistan.
The Museum of Puppetry will promote human values such as peace and mutual understanding between peoples, regardless of race, political or religious convictions and differences in culture.
The Museum will provide a permanent forum for the promotion of puppetry through various means.
The Museum will be a live, active and vibrant entity with a wide range of activities including print/video reference material, lecture, workshops and seminars, publications, preservation of folk puppet theatre, organization of puppet plays and festivals on local, national and regional level, promotion of educational activities and awareness of social issues through puppetry.