In order to develop the museum and theater staff’s skills at building art education programs, the Center for Research, Support, and Development of Culture (A & C) in collaboration with the International Puppetry Association (UNIMA) and Etcétera Puppetry Theatre of Spain organized the discussion “Developing a program of art education using puppets”.
This event was supported by Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre and the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. The discussion was held on May 10th, 2013 at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum with the participation of Ms. Yanisbel Victoria Martinez – the puppet artist, theater researcher and deputy director of the Etcetera Puppetry Theatre, together with the officials who work on in the education field of various museums, and the Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre.
Ms. Yanisbel Victoria, a puppet artist, with many years of experience, brought to conference a new view on puppetry in Spain as well as other European countries. Each puppet had a particular character or role, with its own part, voice, and music. In addition, a puppet show can have the image of a clown in a circus or a popular fox in European beliefs. This allows the public to learn more about life, and human aspirations through puppetry. At this discussion, Ms. Victoria Yanisbel mentioned the connection between contemporary puppetry and the educational activities of the museum,. This connection has never appeared in a Vietnamese museum before. The public, especially children who come to the museum just to see the exhibits and exhibitions can make puppets themselves, and learn to control the puppet’s many different parts. Ms. Yanisbel Victoria said: “The thing that will make the public love the museum is if the museum staff always loves them first. You should know how to ‘attract’ the public whether they are young or old, and if you are always ‘faithful’ you will keep their hearts with you. “
The participants had many questions for the puppet artist Victoria Yanisbel. They asked how to attract visitors, especially children, and for ideas on organizing education activities in the museum. The participants learned valuable lessons, and creative ways to make early proposals and improve the quality of the educational functions at the museum.