In order to promote and preserve region's culture and tradition, the Gauhati University has decided to launch a new course in puppetry. The university has also recently opened the center for performing arts.
According to the report "it was during a three-day capacity building workshop on social and behavioral change communication through folk art (puppetry) that the announcement was made regarding the same. The workshop was organised by the department of communication and journalism of the university in association with UNICEF at the university premises here recently."
Need for promoting the regional culture
- Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University (GU) Mridul Hazarika said that "puppetry will be incorporated as a part of the curriculum of the Centre for Performing Arts at the university."
- He said, "Puppetry is a communication means for a particular community which needs to be raised in global context as an influencing form of modern communication for behavioral change, that is quite difficult but yet possible.''
Mumbai University is another university which has launched the course in puppetry. It is for the first time in the history of Indian education that such a type of a course has been considered and given importance.
About the course from Mumbai University
- The course will be a four-month long academic session highlighting on various aspects that cater to this form of art
- As beginners, puppetry will remain a certificate course in the university and not a degree course
This will be the first ever formal course in this art form in the country