Minutes of Caregiver's Meeting July 2014
Topic: Puppetry for Dementia
Facilitator: Mrs Ratnamala Nori (Nori Art and Puppetry Centre)
Date: 28th July, 2014
Place: ARDSI Hyderabad Deccan,H No: 8-2-332/5, Road #3, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad
Time: 3pm-4pm
- The caregiver session commenced with a brief introduction to the art of puppetry by Mrs Ratnamala Nori. She spoke of the various kinds of puppets used in India with and the history of puppetry. Mrs Nori then went on to narrate the story of how the first puppets were born.
- The session then continued with a puppet show based on a Japanese story that had been adapted for a Telugu audience. The audience watched and listened with rapt attention at the colourful Japanese looking puppets and the simple, yet engaging dialogues.
- After the puppet show, the audience were shown how some simple puppets could be made with everyday things such as coconut shells, socks, handkerchiefs etc. They were encouraged to participate in the making of the puppets with Mrs. Nori.
- Mrs Nori then spoke of how puppetry can be used for dementia patients to encourage communication, expression of feelings, to provide motor stimulation and exercise, and as an activity to help stimulate the brain. This was followed by a short talk by Dr Suvarna Alladi on dementia and its prevention and care.
- The audience constituted of children, young adults, and older people all of whom enjoyed the show and found it both educative as well as entertaining.
