Giant Puppet Parade 2016 – Siem Reap, Cambodia
In its 10th year, the Giant Puppet Project is again, will light up the streets with massive and colorful puppets and will bring joy and wonder to the historic town of Siem Reap. The Giant Puppet Project is a local children’s community arts project, the largest of its kind in Cambodia, providing a creative platform for disadvantaged children to foster and promote self-expression and confidence through art.
Every year, more than 600 children from well-established NGO projects come together to construct giant puppets of unique educational, cultural and ecological themes before lighting them up and parading them proudly through the streets of Siem Reap. The puppets range in size from 10 to 30 meters and may highlight road safety, endangered species, hygiene, local cultural appreciation and environmental awareness.
This year, Navutu Dreams is proud to be the sponsor of 5 life-size football player puppets which are a tribute to Cambodian National football team and it is our second time to support this wonderful community project. This community project for underprivileged children establishes a sense of community, teaches teamwork and allows children to learn about the endangered flora and fauna indigenous to the region.
The Giant Puppet Project is divided into two phases. The first phase involves three-week workshops where children from local schools and non-profit organizations are invited to join fun yet educational workshops where they create the puppets. Each participating organization or school creates its own designated puppet. The workshops began on January 23, 2016 with an established team of artists and volunteers holding the workshops at Wat Damnak Pagoda. The second phase of this community project is a lively and dramatic parade through the streets of Siem Reap. Each participating organization will proudly carry and exhibit their puppet creation. Local communities, as well as tourists will definitely enjoy this fun-filled parade.
The Giant Puppet Parade will take place this Saturday, 6th February 2016 at 7pm. The parade begins in the Old Market area of Siem Reap and marches through the old town before making its way along the river road.
For more information about the Giant Puppet Project, you can visit their Facebook Page.