๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ญ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ
๐โ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ (๐ถ๐๐๐ ) ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐โ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ (๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐ ) ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐ป๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐กโ ๐ถ๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ . ๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ข๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ. ๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐-๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐ -๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก โ๐ธ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐โ ๐ด๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐ป๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ข๐โ ๐ถ๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐โ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ก ๐โ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐. ๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐คโ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก, ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ , ๐คโ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ .
Since its foundation in 2003, Metsamor Puppet Theatre has become a part of the local Cultural Centre managed by ๐น๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ฆ, a local NGO. ๐น๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ฆ offers psychological support for adults, through ceramic clubs, art sessions or choir practice and for children, individual and group therapy sessions. Through these approaches refugees are supported in integration into a new environment and reality.
The Puppet Theatre serves as a cultural hub for the local community and offers various activities such as poetry or book reading sessions and regularly puts on performances for the local community. These performances are interactive in nature, involving the full participation of community members. All the puppets that are used in the theatre performances are made during the art therapy sessions offered to children. As it is rare to find theatres outside of Armeniaโs capital city Yerevan, its audience is quite broad โ with both locals and people from neighbouring towns and villages visiting the performances.
The Puppet Theatreโs performing troupe โ which includes 50 children from Nagorno-Karabakh โ is mobile and performs both on the local and national level, having visited elderly homes and schools. It has also participated in international events. Through the work and performances, the Puppet Theatre has positively impacted the lives of communities and has significantly benefitted the children that make up the troupe.
The theatreโs work is also fostering accessibility to culture since all performances are free and open to all, while bringing children both together to practice, and, later, to perform, on stage. It therefore serves as a vector for inclusion, socialisation and integration of vulnerable children. In this setting, all children โ who may face stigmatisation and discrimination in school settings and their daily lives โ can participate openly and freely. Furthermore, children who have previously displayed behavioural problems have over time been able to improve their behaviour towards others.
In addition to helping to create the puppets, the children are involved in the writing process and performance of all plays. Through this process the childrenโs critical and creative thinking skills are fostered. Moreover, the children involved are with this also introduced to new career opportunities: among the troupeโs alumni, three are currently enrolled at the Yerevan State Theatre and Film Institute, while five have already graduated from the institute and others have gone on to work in theatres based in Yerevan.
Following the renovation of the premises and installation of a wheelchair lift the theatre will reopen in the Fall. The first performance will be about environmental protection and climate change, a burning issue for the country and the region.
