By: Marissa Gutiérrez
The 2nd december of 2023, carried out the workshop on construction and animations of glove puppets for children and adults in Jiutepec Cuernavaca City, State of Morelos. With the support of The Tembembe Center of Afromexican Studies in collaboration with Cuicoyán Cultural Center, our member, Marissa Gutiérrez and the Directos David Gómez, had leader this important activity, in which one, we open a learning place that triggered these reflections:
Which are the lessons learned?
This workshop was focused on the construction of glove puppets taking into account the next questions: which element/elements do I identify myself with? Which natural elements are linked with the chosen elements? How these elements are carried to our personalities and our characters as persons, according to our territories? As well as the construction, we did some group scenic places, calling to reflection over our bodies and its possibilities, without our appearance being a boundary, but as a possibility that deserves respect.
What was contributed to the community and how does this strengthen the educational work?
The workshop gave a general but specific view, over the systems of puppets animation, talking about practices of construction and ancestral animation, all of them represented with black puppets, being at the same time, african gods or mythological and legendary characters who had presence in the history of their community. This workshop was for children and adults. It is a biggest challenge to address, because in the inter-generational groups, it could be a look and reflection about how things were made before and how they are now. From viewpoints that carried some generations existing in the community, as the persons who even has six o ten years old, that at the same time allow to make visible all the approaches as essentials.
