Empowering youth to reduce waste through puppet theater and sculpture
Three playful, larger-than-life puppets were constructed from recycled plastic to provide a visual representation of the plastic used by an average Laos household in a day, a week, and a month. The Khao Niew Lao (“Sticky Rice”) Theater Group used this concept to further the group’s mission: to educate youth about plastic waste through performance and puppetry. The recycled plastic was purchased from the local collectors who walk around the city and pick up the trash. By sourcing the materials in this way, the project also spotlighted and amplified the human side of waste disposal and the resources it requires.
The Director of Khao Niew Lao, Toh, also traveled to a children’s center outside the city, where he held a workshop on the importance of reusing and recycling plastic. As part of the workshop, young participants were guided to create small sculptures made from plastic collected around the neighborhood. The work produced by the youth was installed at the Laos Arts Incubator public exhibition, acting as set design for part of Khao Niew Lao’s puppet performance.
Community Project Members:
Toh Tokabonglao, Xanhnoy Eiei, Noy Pilavong
