After the crisis of Sicilian traditional puppetry, the Association was established and in 1975 it founded, and still manages, the ethno-anthropological Museo internazionale delle marionette Antonio Pasqualino (Antonio Pasqualino International Puppet Museum), which houses 5,000 items used in traditional puppetry from different countries. lt aims to safeguard and revitalize puppet traditions and the related craftsmanship, as well as local practices and productions in their different territorial, artistic and traditional expressions so as to save and expand the rich immaterial heritage connected to
Sicilian folk traditions and to encourage the research focusing on their relation with their original context. lt keeps a comparative attitude by relating Sicilian puppetry to other countries’ traditions.
This activity takes place by means of collecting; research; promotion; networking and cooperation; educational, didactic and theatrical activities, eg. Festival di Morgana (that promotes the cultural/professional exchange between Sicilian and foreign puppeteers), as follows:
- socio-anthropological researches about traditional puppetry and practices
- organization and management of centres for multi-disciplinary documentary research
- foundation of libraries, film archives, and multimedia application centres focusing on identification, documentation and research (including inventorying)
- realization of innovation projects by means of grants, research contracts and conventions
- organization of cultural events in the fields of literature, theatre and art involving local and foreign institutions
- participation in national/international events to preserve, continue and expand Sicilian traditional practices in Italy and abroad
- publishing activity, to popularize the subjects connected to traditional puppetry and practices
- creation of networks including other institutions operating with the same aim and in the same field all over the world
- promotion and realization of programs for the collaboration with public/private institutions, national and international, aiming to operate in the research field and promote the exchange of professionals with other Italian and foreign certified institutes
- counselling service to help the Regional government adopt the right strategies for the preservation/promotion of traditional practices, expand its collection about material/immaterial culture
- conservation and permanent exhibition of some of its ethno-anthropological collections
- organization of educational/didactic projects and activities in cooperation with private/public institutions concerning the Museum’s patrimony, local and foreign traditions.
Year of accreditation: 2014
Main domain(s) of the ngo’s activities: oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, traditional craftsmanship
Main country where the NGO works: Italy
Local, national or international level of the NGO: International
