Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop works to effect grass-root change and positive messaging throughout communities and societies through the performing arts and providing meaningful entertainment opportunities to the public.
Puppetry: Our cultural outreach helps indigenous artists by providing a platform to materialize their ideas and provides technical support to local organizations like Junction Puppet Theatre and Ritz Puppet Theatre in Karachi, Asghar Puppets in Bahawalpur and four other groups growing as puppet performing organizations.
In addition, the RPTW helped create a Puppeteer Society for the students of the National College of Arts (NCA) in 1992. RPTW has held eight national festivals to promote local puppeteers and numerous workshops on puppetry and other performing arts.
The Faizaan Peerzada Museum of Puppetry has hosted 124 local puppeteer families and other craftsmen to practice their art and produce puppets that can be marketed to sustain their livelihood, thus keeping folk puppetry alive in Pakistan.
It is expected that several local groups and individuals will emerge from amongst various communities from our various Outreach Activities. These individuals and groups will be absorbed into the RPTW mainstream puppet training and workshop activities. The RPTW intends to provide technical support to the groups to set up puppetry organizations and make them functional in their own areas.
Dance: Our National Dance Festival along with the World Performing Arts Festival, various documentaries, showcases and classes, have largely contributed to sustaining the art of dance in Pakistan. At a time when the premier dancers of our nation had relocated overseas because of lack of support, inability to sustain themselves or outright persecution, the RPTW has never shirked their support of this age old tradition. In fact our organization is responsible for creating regular showcases for both established dance professionals as well as regional folk artists from around the country.
Our network within the community has led to strong ties with the best artists in the nation, this network allows us to hold classes and workshops that will cultivate future generations of dancers, preserving the beautiful traditions of the regions.
Theatre: Since its earliest days theatre has been used as a tool of communication, education and exploration. Our theatre outreach programs are no different. At the heart of such initiatives as the Nautanki Project, lies the fundamental concept of communicating, educating and creating awareness through theatre and the arts.
Our rigorous outreach schedule constantly requires trained professionals, projects such as the Nautanki (mobile theatre) Project work as a hands on training program for young professionals and aspiring thespians from all walks of life. These individuals are guaranteed employment with the RPTW as well as the full support of the organization in the creation of regional and independent theatre companies.
Education & Development: Over the last few years the RPTW has specialized in creating delightful childrens and community content and engagements with strong educational and developmental cores. We use the arts to create an environment of joyful and hands on learning, using the arts to instill positive messaging, community building principals, educational agendas, and public service messaging.
These programs involve a great deal of research and trained personnel behind them. At the RPTW we commit to a strong training and hands on learning program in all our departments from Creatives and Puppet Making, to Costume Design and Construction, to Content Development and Research. Through maintaining this program RPTW is responsible for developing an entire generation of trained professionals and creating sustainable employment for them as well.
