Breaking out of time: Dafa Puppet Theatre

Abstract

Dafa Puppet Theatre works with refugee communities to enable expression and change people’s lives through puppetry. Dafa’s work is on the boundaries of visual arts, puppetry, music, family gathering, food and a range of different elements. The idea of the puppet is something that you can touch and sense, yet it is on the borders between reality and fiction. There is always the possibility that the gates of imagination can be opened by this object, which can have many symbolic meanings. In this article, a reflection transcribed from an interview with Laura Purcell-Gates, Husam and Réka discuss their work with puppetry in communities. They reflect on layers of meaning within the puppet, working with specific materials and found objects, the importance of cultural specificity in their approach to the work, decolonizing practices of puppetry and building community through integrating puppetry, gatherings and shared food. This artistic discussion is an insight into a very active company working with often vulnerable and displaced communities.