Pakistani puppeteers set to start Istanbul chapter

By Kiran Butt

LAHORE, Pakistan (AA) - A Pakistani family master in the art of puppetry says it is set to entertain audiences in Turkiye, launching its theater company's Istanbul chapter soon.

Saadaan Peerzada, one of the directors of Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop, spoke to Anadolu Agency for World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People, which is being celebrated on Sunday.

The company was established in Lahore in 1974 after the death of the patriarch, Rafi Peer, a pioneer of performing arts in Pakistan.

“My family has worked in this country for more than 47 years in arts and culture, and now is the time to expand to other countries,” Peerzada said.

He did not divulge into further details of the business plan but said there is a lot of potential in Istanbul, which is the hub of international tourists, and "it will be great to showcase the Pakistani art of puppetry and theatre in our 'brother country' (Turkiye)."

Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop, considered the oldest and largest puppet company in the country, started holding carnivals in the early 1980s, and later organized festivals where stars from all over the world performed for local audiences.

“Our target audience was always children and youth. We are the pioneers of performing arts in Pakistan and have trained thousands of students over the period of four decades," Peerzada said, adding: "It was our father’s vision to do this for his country and we, all brothers and sisters, carried his legacy forward."

- Faizaan Peerzada Museum of Puppetry

The Rafi Peer Cultural Centre also houses a puppet museum now dedicated to Faizan Peerzada, one of the seven siblings, who died in 2012. He was a puppeteer and theatre director.

“Faizan left Pakistan in 1982 for the US, but I convinced him to come back after two years and start a puppet show here," Peerzada said.

"We started our venture and the French cultural center (Alliance Francaise) was the first one to give us space for a show. A multinational company also sponsored us ... that was our glorious time," he recalled.

He said they held shows in schools, colleges and open-air theatres, and initiated the World Performing Arts Festival, a one-of-a-kind event in Pakistan. "To date, we have organized 87 International World Performing Arts Festivals that include puppetry, music, dance and theatre – teams from 36 countries, 14,000 young artists,” he added.

But over the years Pakistan suffered from terrorism, negatively affecting arts and cultural activities in Pakistan. Like others, Rafi Peer also limited its operations.

“Multinational companies were our backbone and invested heavily in art and puppet shows," Peerzada said. "As children were our target audience, even snack food companies wanted to work with us ... but it’s been 12 years now that we have had no multinational company to sponsor us."

- Digital puppetry

To stay relevant in the fast-paced digital world, the family has ventured into digital puppetry, and has launched YouTube channels to attract a wider audience.

The Rafi Peer Theatre & Dance channel, which has over 40,000 subscribers, uploads videos from performances the company organizes across the world.

Similarly, the Rafi Peer Kids TV has 241,000 subscribers. It aims "to develop and produce educational television programming," according to its About Us section.

“We had to shift to the digital world ... But it makes me sad that the new generation is deprived of watching this art as a live audience," he said.

- Government support

Actor Usman Peerzada, another member of the Peerzada family, lamented what he said a lack of government support to puppeteers in Pakistan, as compared to India.

“In India, they have dedicated the area of Kathputli Nagar in Jaipur to puppeteers. Even our puppeteers are related to them and speak the same language. But here we are just one family keeping this art alive,” he said.

Still, Usman said, Rafi Peer is collaborating with the government to spread awareness on causes such as family planning.

“We are working on a project with the Punjab government ... 80 shows in a year throughout the province to educate people on family planning," he said. "We are hopeful that glorious days of puppetry and theatre will be back in Pakistan very soon."