PUPPETRY IN THE FACE OF WAR

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the «Puppetry in the Face of War: A Study of Odessa Puppet Theatre» project, which took place in 2023. The project, which brought together colleagues from the University of Portsmouth and the Department of Cultural Studies and Philosophy of Culture of the National University «Odesa Polytechnic», was funded by the UK Research and Innovation Fund (UKRI). This project was created due to the UK-Ukraine Twinning grant scheme, funded by Research England with the support of International Universities of Great Britain and UK Research and Innovation. On the part of Great Britain, Professor Matt Smith led the project; on the Ukrainian part the project was led by Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, professor, head of the department Tamara Rozova. The purpose of the project was to support cooperation and links between institutions engaged in research in the field of culture. The project « Puppetry in the Face of War: A Study of Odessa Puppet Theatre « contributed to the popularization of the puppet theatre in general, and in particular the Odesa Academic Puppet Theatre, an important cultural institution that was founded in 1932. The study highlighted the way culture can survive conflict, especially for young people, and drew attention to the city of Odesa in a time of crisis. Puppet theatre is a very attractive and exciting art form that combines the culture of Great Britain and Ukraine through puppetry. This project focuses on puppetry as a socio-humanitarian process existing during the war and as a part of the subsequent recovery of Ukraine. The activity of the puppet theatre was analysed through the prism of the functioning of education and socialization of children during the war. The purpose of the article is to analyse the results of the international project «Puppets in the Face of War». The tasks set by the authors of the article are inextricably connected with the specified goal: to analyse how the puppet theatre adapted to the modern military conflict; explore new forms of working with the viewer; to confirm the therapeutic function of puppet art. The project is an interdisciplinary study that demonstrates the connection between puppetry and society during military conflicts. In the research there were used methods of interviewing, historical narratives, surveys, and photography were used. These methods included observation (attending performances), hermeneutic analysis of the artistic text (the text of the performance) and analysis of the source knowledge base (printed publications, magazines and newspapers) were relevant for this study. Thanks to the outlined methodology, it was possible to answer the question posed to the researchers: «How can the puppet theatre survive during times of conflict and trauma as an art form for children and their families?» Within the framework of the project «Puppets in the Face of War» the work of the Odesa Academic Puppet Theatre was analysed. In the activity of the theatre there are three significant spheres that can be defined: socio-political, academic and therapeutic (applied puppetry). The Puppet Theatre has demonstrated great resilience to adversity and change, adapting to the needs of its community, creating a safe haven and creative centre for their dreams and joys. Puppet theatre has become a place of healing, where puppets can displace trauma and open play with the audience.