Katkatha Puppet Residency

Residency brief

The Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust is a travelling puppet theatre company founded in 1998, which frequently collaborates with international puppet theatre companies and festivals, including the World Festival of Puppet Theatres of Charleville-Mézières. One of their key priorities is to develop a professional training programme for the next generation of puppeteers, by providing intensive courses and workshops at their company. Through this residency, Katkatha will enable French artists to explore and experience the numerous and diverse puppetry traditions in India, Delhi being the main but not exclusive location of the residency.

The residency will be divided into two parts: a 10 to 15 days master-class with Katkatha puppeteers, including puppet building, animation and performance, followed by a studio-based mentorship during which the resident will be able to develop his/her own project and eventually present it at Katkatha’s partner venues. Throughout the residency, the French artist will be fully immersed in the company, and when possible he/she will be associated with Katkatha’s daily activities, such as in-house productions and commissioned shows, applied puppetry projects in cultural and educational institutions, and community theatre activities for children.

  • Thematic focus Performing arts (puppetry)
  • Location Badarpur (Delhi) & Mussoorie (Uttarakhand)
  • Dates September - October 2023
  • Length of stay 6 to 8 weeks
  • Apply Now

Our Space

Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust Studio, Badarpur (Delhi), & Savitri Villa, Mussoorie (Uttarakhand)

Katkatha Studio is located at the southern border of Delhi, 12 kilometres from the city centre. This semi-urban area is densely-populated, and constitutes a large part of the city’s labour force. The rehearsal room overlooks the main alleyway of the district, opening a window to the entire community.

Residency conditions

  • The resident will be provided with collective studio facilities (which includes a rehearsal studio), as well as basic tools and materials for puppet building.
  • The resident will be provided with on-site accommodation, which includes a shared room during the master-class, and a single room during the mentorship.
  • The resident will receive a fixed stipend of INR. 70,000 per month to cover his/her food and living expenses.
  • The resident’s travel costs to and from his/her home address will be covered by the French Institute in India.
  • The resident should be willing to participate in an Open House at the Katkatha studio at the end of the master-class, where he/she will showcase a live performance, an interactive installation, or a puppet film.
  • The resident is expected to produce a short report about his/her experience, in a free format, that could be published later on.

Eligibility criteria

The resident has to be autonomous and must have a working knowledge of English.