Meet Lata Satagopan, a 72-year-old inspiring storyteller who has devoted her life to revolutionizing education with puppetry🎭
She has spent 37 years dedicated to innovative and socially relevant puppet-making, training educators, and conducting workshops in India and abroad. Lata's thematic puppet shows combine 'theatre in education' with storytelling and scriptwriting to revive the art of puppetry, for which she received a state award. As an English teacher, Lata used her love of drama and literature to innovate her teaching approach.
In 1986, she attended a 45-day puppetry training program organized by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training), which marked a turning point in her career. Since then, she has become a resource person for the Department of Education and collaborated with other puppeteers.
Puppetry helps improve children's communication, literacy, motor skills, socialization, and creative thinking. It makes learning more engaging by tapping into the 'inner child' and promoting observation skills through visualization, movement, and language development.
The National Education Policy 2020 encourages experiential learning and has implemented a toy-based pedagogy for children aged 3 to 18. Puppetry is now recognized as an educational tool alongside blocks, puzzles, masks, and sand art.
Lata is optimistic about puppetry's inclusion in the BEd curriculum and uses it to teach subjects like English, mathematics, sciences, and social studies.
Her performances, covering themes such as personal hygiene, community living, and environmental messages, involve children in scriptwriting and adaptation. In her interactive performances, Lata specializes in glove puppets, combining songs with storytelling. She aims to popularize the art form, honor Karnataka's culture, and inspire future puppeteers through her passion for puppetry.