I was not sure how much I would benefit from attending the course. One of my expectations was that I would develop links with groups throughout Europe. There for I was disappointed that so few received funding to attend. Never the less the participants were very well informed and helpful.

Never the less it was well worth attending. Marie and I learnt a lot about puppet making and performing with them. Also about EU structures and training programs from people experienced in such matters.

The course was very well structured. It was obvious that Maria and Krzysztof but a lot of effort into the course. They faced any problems and dealt with them without causing any concern to the participants. Arranging for us to perform in the school was the highlight of our course and was most informative.

Our accommodation in the Taskonak Hotel, Goreme, was amazing it was a large comfortable cave room the breakfast each morning was fantastic with cereal, fresh fruit, pancakes and scones. The staff was friendly and helpful.

I felt very comfortable using the course venues as they were public spaces where I felt part of the community rather than been locked away in a hall or similar space. We did not need many materials which is great for continuing our work in ALâ workshops where finance is short. We received some very helpful printed material both from organizers and participants.

From the start due to the team building exercise we built a good working relationship. Maria and Krzysztof, Björg Árnadóttir and Birgit Langeder are people I look forward to working with again in the near future.

We have already introduced puppets into ALâ. Marie and I run a very successful workshop and we are planning to include puppets into our show in late November. To achieve this we will continue working with the weekly workshop participants during the next few months.

Through participant presentations we learnt about other Developmental Drama techniques such a Bibilodrama and Psychodrama, Sociadrama and other action methods. We agreed to examine the possibility of a training project examining the combination of developmental drama methodologies in developmental education and Pedagogy such as Theatre of the Oppressed, Bibilodrama, etc and methods such as puppets, clowning etc. I hope this takes place as the course thought me that we can learn so much from each other.

It was amazing to witness how the very basic puppetry works its magic.
North-west of Armenia, a tiny secluded village, deprived of various conveniences save cellular telephony and the Internet. Group of teenage school pupils with their teacher resigned from their Sunday leasure to welcome visitors. Some exotic Europeans not able to understand neither a letter, nor a spoken word in Armenian and trying to express themselves in Enlish much too fluent for the listeners or with broken Russian, that seemed to be equally foreign for all the present.
The National Independence Day was to be celebrated and international pleasantries and mutual good will and even better intentions of possible collaboration in the future were to be exchanged on that vital occcassion.
Out of hospitality and politeness of the hosts, the visiting puppetry artist was offered a few minutes to present the methods used in her theatrical group and in the work counteracting social exclusion.
I will rather show you – she offered to that unpredictable audience. Barehandedly and almost speeachlessly she transformed modest 5 to 10 minutes into hour or so of joyfull eruption of creativity of all meeting participants. Teenagers got committed completely. Nothing and nobody was prepared in advance. Only some waste paper (used flipchart sheets) and pieces of string were utilised. No linquistic skills were important; no differences of age, bacground, culture and nationality mattered any more. Crude paper puppets immediately lived their full and independent lives, expressed their, or rather their creators ,uniqueness and intentions.
That way new aspect of independence and hopes for developement conmemorated that day of national celebration.

The next meeting expected that day was a scheduled briefieng for rural community activists in another village. But grapevine had worked perfectly well among exceptionaly sociable Armenians.
In the community hall the representatives of all generations awaited excitedly their share of puppetry workshop. They also had a lot of fun and realised for how many applications their puppets are suitable.

One more aspect of addressing any groups with that sort of stimulation is worth highlighting. Not a trace of patronizing occured there, which could be felt by those offered very sophisticated and costly materials and tools, not otherwise available for them. Only a gift of an opportunity to experience, how creative and mighty they are just using their imagination and hands in giving a new life to unwanted things intended for disposal.