Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) invites you to Enchanted Space, an innovative and interactive experience, brought to life in collaboration with the Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust. This on-site installation invites participants to delve into the often-overlooked world of insects, exploring their lives through a blend of puppetry, storytelling, and immersive art.

Guided by Ms. Busy Bee, participants will walk through a glowing dragonfly labyrinth and uncover secrets hidden in a Cabinet of Curiosities! Each activity combines scientific insights with mythical narratives, offering a unique perspective on the interconnectedness of all living beings.

These interactive sessions will not only entertain but also educate, fostering empathy and awareness about the vital roles insects play in our ecosystem. It's an ideal experience for everyone and anyone intrigued by the wonders of the natural world.

Audience Takeaways:

* Engage in a multisensory puppet performance that merges science and folklore

* Interact with dynamic installations like the dragonfly labyrinth and curiosity cabinet

* Gain a deeper understanding of the insect world and its significance

* Participate in storytelling that highlights the parallels between human and insect lives

* Reflect on the importance of coexistence and environmental stewardship 

* Take home your own "Make-Your-Own-Insect" DIY kit as a playful extension of the experience

About the storyteller

V Aarti is a puppeteer, theatre practitioner and writer. She has worked in children's theatre since 2016. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from Ambedkar University, and is currently pursuing a practice-based PhD where she is working on projects at the intersection of science and arts through puppetry and theatre. She wrote and directed ‘Zig Zags to Earth', a shadow puppet show about the water cycle. The show has been performed at many festivals and venues like KNMA, Serendipity Arts Festival, the Alt Festival by WIP Labs, the Katkatha Puppet Fringe, etc.

About Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust

Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust is a registered culture trust that is a professional puppet theatre company that has been creating original productions using puppets, masks and objects and touring to international and Indian performing arts and theatre festivals.

Katkatha has also worked with museums to create installations, site-specific projects and exhibitions about and using puppets. At the core are sculptors, dancers, designers and puppeteers whose vision is to support a professionally set-up and managed space for the promotion, preservation and development of Puppet Theatre. This includes training the next generation of puppeteers and creating a new space to seedbed new puppet groups and companies by holding annual master-classes, mentorship projects, internships and residencies.

About the designer

Anurupa Roy is a puppeteer, puppet designer and director of puppet theatre. She has been the Co-Founder and Managing Trustee of Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust since 1998. She has a diploma in puppetry from Dramatiska Institutet, University of Stockholm and has trained at the Scuola De La Guaratelle under Bruno Leone. She is a recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar in Puppetry, a National Award in Puppet Theatre in 2006. She is a 2023 British Council CLORE Chevening Fellow.

Anurupa works as a consultant in arts for public health, peace-building and education projects for communities, schools, juvenile homes, in conflict zones like Kashmir, Sri Lanka and Manipur. She has designed puppet exhibitions for Serendipity Arts Festival, The National Museum in Delhi, the Children’s Museum at Prince of Wales Museum (CSMVS), Mumbai and the Goethe Institutes Infinite Library Project. She has directed over forty puppet productions for Katkatha supported by India Foundation for the Arts, Festival Mondial Des Theatres de Marrionnettes, Charleville- Mezieres, France, Helios Theater, Hamm, Germany, The Japan Foundation, Atelier de la Luna, Spain and as guest director for TIE Repertory Company, National School of Drama and the Sandbox Collective, Bangalore.