The workshop provides practical and theoretical knowledge on puppetry, through a series of short performances, discussions, participatory exercises and lessons on the making of puppets and props. It will demonstrate and cover the roots, history, classical and contemporary forms of puppetry, shadow theatre, and the manipulation of inanimate objects. It aims at engaging school teachers and social workers with puppetry as an accessible artistic tool to the youth they work with.

The workshop introduces the practice in a participatory method, where teachers and social workers are able to experience the characteristics of animating objects, manipulating different kinds of puppets such as marionettes, glove-puppets and acting behind a shadow screen. The workshop also positions this form of theater in its historical and geographical context giving insights to participants on the various forms and techniques that this rich theater holds.

The Arab Puppet Theater Foundation (APTF) was founded in 2008 with the mission to encourage puppetry practices in the Arab World and widen their scope. APTF is a platform to revive, continually challenge and rethink the art-form of puppetry in the Arab World. It assists the professional development of artists associated with puppetry, and embraces new methods in the field, by providing skills and specialized programs to experienced and novice puppeteers, puppet-makers, educators and social workers. It also collaborates with artists and professionals from a variety of complementary fields and disciplines to explore new possibilities in the art and craft of puppetry.