Int’l Istanbul Puppet Festival kicks off

ISTANBUL

The opening of the 26th International Istanbul Puppet Festival, featuring 11 different performances from six countries this year, was held at Turşucuzade Mansion Sıbyan School.

Cengiz Özek, the festival's art director, said that the festival was born out of the intense interest they encountered during previous international Karagöz performances.

Özek noted that Karagöz is far more widely known globally than in Türkiye, saying, "We see great interest in Karagöz at festivals. Puppet artists know of Karagöz, but they have rarely seen it performed. We are self-taught, while they formally study the craft. Karagöz was a well-known figure not only in Türkiye but also throughout the Ottoman regions, from the Balkans to North Africa. Such a far-reaching art form also sparks curiosity. When we noticed this interest, we decided to organize a festival in Türkiye, and in 1998, we held the first one."

Özek noted that they set a new theme each year for the festival, but this year, due to financial conditions and adverse events like ongoing wars, they opted for a simpler format.

Explaining that he was supposed to perform in Jerusalem last year but couldn’t go, Özek added, "We hoped the war would end, but it hasn't. Unfortunately, these wars are happening in places where Karagöz traditionally connects with people. With war, both Karagöz and those who know about it are disappearing. The knowledgeable elders who could pass down this culture are vanishing. In Lebanon, where war rages, Karagöz performances continued into the 21st century, but now, that culture and heritage are on the verge of becoming history."

Özek stated that "string puppetry" has not developed much in Türkiye, explaining, "Here, puppets are still operated with six strings, while puppet masters visiting from abroad use at least 25 strings. This shows us both the interest in the art and how puppet artistry is embedded in their culture. After the Republic was established, Karagöz was embraced by community centers here, but it was used to promote revolutionary messages, leading to didactic plays. This in turn distanced the audience from Karagöz."

Highlighting that Karagöz and shadow puppetry are products of their time, Özek said, "The misconception among our Karagöz artists is failing to understand that Karagöz speaks from today and about now. Karagöz draws its form from tradition and its content from the present. Aside from a few compiled texts, we don't have much information about past content. What we need to do is present Karagöz in a form and with content that today's people can understand and embrace."

Puppet artists from around the world participate in the festival

This year, the festival will feature Cheung Chun Fai's traditional Chinese culture puppet show from Hong Kong, "The Bellhop" by Spain's Hilarilar Marionetas group, "Pocket Circus" by Teatro Verde from Italy, "Tiger" and "Kathputli" by Mexico's Compania Banyan de Marionetas and "The Sea and the World" by Jose Navarro from Peru.

From Türkiye, festival founder Özek’s "The Donkey Karagöz," Ercan Sönmez’s "The Great Plane Tree," Murat Karahüseyinoğlu’s Karagöz adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous play "The Merchant of Venice" and Emre Tandoğan’s play "The Wound" will be performed.

Additionally, "Shadow Puppet" workshops for children over eight and a Karagöz figure-making workshop for adults will be available for festivalgoers.

In addition to Turşucuzade Mansion Sıbyan School, performances will be held at Akbank Sanat, Beyoğlu Municipality’s Science Istanbul, Şişli Municipality’s Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center, Altunizade Culture and Arts Center and Mall of Istanbul. The festival will continue until Nov. 3.

More information and the program are available at "www.istanbulkuklafestivali.com."