Jakarta - The "Asian Puppet Show Meeting" will be held in Yogyakarta, Central Java of Indonesia, next month, and 13 countries have been confirmed to attend, according to local media on Tuesday.
The countries taking part in the meeting are the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), India, China and Japan, Antara news agency on Tuesday quoted the secretary general of the ASEAN Puppet Show Association, Tupuk Sutrisno, as saying.
The event would be the first at Asian level and was the idea ofthe ASEAN Puppet Show Association with members from all ASEAN countries except Brunei Darussalam, he said.
"The association invited three other countries to participate in it to develop understanding on the importance of cooperation among Asian countries possessing puppet show," he told local reporters on Monday.
Japan, India and China are invited because they have unique puppet shows which continue to be preserved by artists operating in classical as well as contemporary shows.
"In the event each participating country plans to introduce its puppet show briefly," he said.
During the meeting, it is expected members will make an agreement on exchange of shows and experts besides discussion on the establishment of puppet show centers to preserve the show.
"We also plan to discuss the development of the present Asian puppet show association into a world association," he added. Editor: An
Source:
http://news.xinhuanet.com (November 25, 2008)