Community Puppetry in Croatia

 

I am currently involved in an EVS (European Voluntary Service) project in Petrinja, a small town in the centre of Croatia. This is a year-long program hosted by Association IKS, an NGO (non-profit organisation) that aims to develop community by strengthening civil society. They do this through promoting volunteering, non-formal education and democracy. This provides young people with a chance to develop their skills and meet new people, which is very necessary in Petrinja as it is one of the poorest towns in Croatia where the effects of the war in 1991 are still felt and unemployment is very high.

 

 

In my project I, along with two other volunteers, create puppet shows that deal with social and political issues such as equality and human rights to be performed in schools and kindergartens. The purpose of these performances is to add a fun and dynamic element to the children’s learning and to give the teachers a spring board to integrating civic education in to their curriculum in an engaging and inspiring way.

 

 

Please see my blog for more information about the work we do on this EVS project.