Bangkok celebrates puppetry art with Harmony World Puppet Carnival this November

BANGKOK – More than 160 troupes of puppeteers from 80 countries, including 50 groups from Thailand, will be transforming the historic Rattanakosin Island in Bangkok into a centre stage of magical puppetry art during the Harmony World Puppet Carnival 2014 from 1 to 10 November.
 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is lending its full support to the event, which will be held at the same period when Bangkok joins the entire nation in celebrating the Loi Krathong extravaganza and welcoming the first River Festival 2014 – a Delightful Stream of Culture.
 

Mr. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Executive Director of the Advertising and Public Relations Department of TAT said, “The hosting of the Harmony World Puppet Carnival 2014 in Bangkok will certainly help strengthen Thailand’s reputation as a melting pot of arts and cultures, traditional and contemporary. Thai Puppetry has been a part of Thai culture and tradition for hundreds of years, and so this event will also help boost cultural tourism in Thailand and promote public participation for the preservation of the puppetry art, locally and internationally.”
 

The Harmony World Puppet Carnival Bangkok 2014 will feature puppet performances from 116 productions of puppeteers from 79 countries and 50 Thai puppeteer groups, making this year’s event the largest since it was first held in Prague, Czech Republic in 2008. There will be puppet shows from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, as well as more than 22 puppet movies and videos. In addition, there will be exhibitions, an academic conference, roundtable discussions and workshops on the art of puppetry.
 

The event will take place at various venues in Bangkok’s old quarters or Rattanakosin Island: Sanam Luang–Phra Men Ground, the National Theatre, Wang Na Theatre, Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Centre, National Gallery Bangkok, National Museum, King Rama III Memorial Park and Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre. In addition, the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre on Boromaratchachonnani Road and the Siam Paragon Shopping Complex on Rama I Road will be the venues for some of the event’s puppet activities and performances.
 

On 1 November, the opening ceremony will be held at Sanam Luang–Phra Men Ground with a spectacular parade of puppeteers from different countries and delegates from the Youth Puppet Community Thailand. The procession will start from the Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Centre, where the opening ceremony of the ‘Contemporary Thai Puppet and Thai Puppet Exhibition’ will take place on 2 November.
 

The Harmony World Puppet Carnival is a competition, and the award’s presentation and closing ceremony for the 2014 edition will be held on 10 November at the National Theatre. The prize categories include Best Puppet Animation, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Scenery, Best Puppet Design, Best Film, Best Video, Best Children’s Performance, Best Original Performance, Best Traditional Performance, Best Artistic Creation and Best Performance.
 

Mr. Chattan said, “With the event set to take place at venues around Rattanakosin Island, home to Bangkok’s most popular and important historical attractions, it offers a great opportunity for travellers to immerse in the puppetry art while exploring Buddhist temples, palaces, museums and parks as well as take part in religious rituals and vintage fairs during the Loi Krathong celebration from 4-6 November at Nakrapirom Park and the newly-launched River Festival from 1-6 November at Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Prayun, Wat Kalaya and Asiatique the Riverfront.”
 

The Harmony World Puppet Carnival Bangkok 2014 is organised by the Prague-based World Puppet Carnival in collaboration with the Bangkok-based Semathai Marionette Arts for Social Foundation and the Government of Thailand by the Ministry of Culture, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Crown Property Bureau, and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau with support from TAT, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Child and Youth Media Institute, Siam Paragon Shopping Complex and the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre.
 

Admission is free to all events and shows during the festival. Ticket reservations can be made at World Puppet Carnival or at e-mail: bangkokworldpuppet@hotmail.com. Tickets reservation booths will be set up at different locations, including the Siam Paragon Shopping Complex and the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre.
 

The World Puppet Festival was first held in 2008 in Prague, Czech Republic. The organiser began to organise the event outside the Czech Republic called the ‘World Puppet Carnival’ in 2012 in Kazakhstan. Last year, the event was held in Indonesia.

 

Photo caption: Nang Yai or large shadow puppet, a type of Thai Puppet (Picture by Seksan Saowarod, entrant of the TAT Newsroom Contest 2014)