The Latvian Puppet Theatre in partnership with the Citadele Bank visited five specialised boarding elementary schools in Latvia this autumn to present performances of “One, Two, Three, Now You are Free!” and “One Long Turkish Bean.” This was a celebration for the children, many of whom were seeing a professional puppet theatre performance for the first time. This allowed the kids to learn about such educational and cultural events.
“The students at the specialised schools were delighted about the performances that were staged by the Latvian Puppet Theatre,” says the theatre’s marketing and communications director, Liene Paukšēna. “Such impressions and such joy! The children were open and responsive, and the teachers were pleasantly surprised about the fact that children with very serious health problems such as mental retardation were very much interested in the performances. Even older students came to see the show. The Puppet Theatre actors who take part in the performances felt very welcomed and at home. It is essential for children in Latvia’s provinces to enjoy cultural events. Intellectual and emotional development of children must have positive impulses, and participation in cultural events certainly ensures that. We very much thank the Citadele Bank for the opportunity of our actors to present their show at boarding elementary schools throughout Latvia!”
“Before and during the performances at all of the schools, the children actively helped the actors to bring props and decorations from the bus to the stage,” says Puppet Theatre actress Dace Vītola. “At the boarding school in Adamova, the children demonstrated initiative and responsibility in terms of what they were doing. I am delighted that the teachers do more than care for such children, also preparing them for life and teaching them to be independent.”
The Puppet Theatre performances were staged at schools in Gaujiena, Purmsāti, Pamūša, Adamova and Upesgrīva, and employees from nearby Citadele branches also attended them. “I love the fact that we could visit the children and ensure that their days are a bit more sunny and uncommon,” says the manager of the Citadele Liepāja Branch, Evija Stūrmane. “While the children excitedly watched the performance, we inflated 200 balloons, and the kids were delighted to receive them as the best possible gift! We stayed at the school after the performance to visit with the youngsters in a free atmosphere. They were very enthusiastic in telling us about what they had seen on stage, and for many of them this was their first visit to the theatre in their lives. That gives us a lot to think about.”
The manager of the Bauska Branch, Ermīns Urtāns, says that his visit to the specialised elementary boarding school in Pamūša was very touching: “The children were really delighted about the performance, because many of them had never seen anything of that type. The preschool children loved our balloons, and administrators at the school praised us for the performance and the balloons.”
“We found that the visit by actors from the Latvian Puppet Theatre and by employees of Citadele branches to schools in Latvia’s regions were a major celebration and joy, and the performances at schools and cultural centres brought much delight to the children,” says the director of corporate communications at the Citadele Bank, Baiba Ābelniece. “It was valuable that the audience included both students and other children from the area. This was another way in which Citadele helped differently abled people to integrate into society. After the joy about the exciting performance that was presented by the Puppet Theatre actors, the children will feel equal in other life situations, too. We will continue to facilitate positive events of this type so that all youngsters can experience such wonderful cultural events irrespective of where they live and what their health status is.”
The Citadele Bank’s goal is to expand opportunities for differently abled people and to facilitate their integration into society. These activities are based on the “You Are. You Can” movement, which is made up of everyone who supports the ideas and is prepared to strengthen the belief of differently abled people in society in their own abilities. The same applies to others who have become lost in the difficult and changing economic environment of the present day. The Latvian Puppet Theatre is pleased to join in these activities.