Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Giant puppet walk highlights the fragility of aquatic life
ADDING a creative spin to raising awareness, this year's Plum Harvest Festival at Boschendal will include a giant redfin fish puppet walk by the Centre for Humanities Research at UWC to draw attention to preserving aquatic life.
The puppet created by Ukwanda Puppet Company and a performance by puppeteers and musicians from Net vir Pret in Barrydale, plan to raise awareness of the rivers and waters in the area, promote water sustainability and inspire new generations of eco-warriors.
Puppetry director and event co-ordinator, Dr Aja Marneweck, said that the puppets were designed to tell the story of the Barrydale River and an endemic species of fynbos fish called the Barrydale redfin minnow, which was, and is, severely under threat.
“There are many reasons for a river itself to be unhealthy – pollution, overuse, alien species, agriculture. The abundance of life and of plants and creatures within the river is indicative of the health of the overall river system, and in order to raise local awareness about the imminent threat to this amazing small fish, we needed to make a big statement that could reach across cultural and social divides.
“In telling the story of the redfin, the community of Barrydale came to realise they were also telling a story about themselves and the social divides in the village. So it became a story about people and the human right to universal access to water, as much as about the need for us to take care of our most precious resource through conservation and active awareness,” said Marneweck.
Siphokazi Mpofu from Ukwanda Puppet Company said that the fun aspects of making puppets are when you see them coming to life, but at the beginning it is not always so pleasant.
“There are controls, movements and sizes. That makes the beginning of making the puppets a challenge, especially when it comes to controls. Once it comes to life and we test it, then it’s fun.
“It’s fun when you make puppets for children because you help them gain confidence. For instance, when we make puppets for children, when they come into the workshop, they are quiet, but when they leave, they get excited and they gain confidence. So that is the difference between when we make puppets for children and when we make the giant ones. It’s really stressful, but when it comes to life, it’s fun and exciting,” said Mpofu.
The puppet walk will begin at 11am tomorrow in the picnic area at the entrance to the farm, proceeding through the main grounds and ending with a short performance in front of the new Norval Art Gallery (Boschendal Manor House).
Marneweck said that, because of the project, children in Barrydale started an eco-warrior campaign to clean up the river.
“Boschendal is also trying to raise water awareness on the farm and with the young people who live there and attend school there. They were inspired by our story of the river and redfin puppets and asked if we could bring them to work with the children on the farm and to create a small parade with them.
“I think living in Cape Town and almost hitting ground zero in 2017/2018, as well as living in a country of water scarcity, we are all acutely aware of how easily our abuse and misuse of water can affect our lives.”