Saints Methodius and Cyrill Christian Educational Centre together with Sunday school has developed and has created the new Christian cultural program - Children's Christian puppet theatre "Batlejka".
Puppet theatre is portable. It looks like a suitcase in the assembled aspect. When it is opened it looks like puppet's two-storeyed house.
It is notable for its high mobility, large creative opportunities, bright expressiveness, opportunity to serve for development of symbolical and logic thinking of children.
With the help of Batlejka there is an opportunity to show performances for any audience - at schools, hospitals, children's gardens, hospices. It is good means for missionary's activity.
It is planned to put 3 courses of performances with the help of Batlejka. First course is "Christian ethics" - 30 performances for 35 minutes. Second course is " Sacred history of the Old Testament " - 30 performances for 35 minutes. Third course is "Sacred history of the New Testament" - 30 performances for 35 minutes. It is possible also to make unlimited quantity of performances, which could be carried out in various children's establishments with missionary tasks. It would be our opposition to soulless children serials on TV, propagandizing an immoral stereotype of behaviour.
In our course we adapt for stage histories from the Bible or fairy tales, where the main heroes are Christian children. The heroes simulating all social types of the people will participate in plots. The purpose of the course is the adaptation of children's faith to the existing world. Except puppets one adult person participates in each performance. This person will sit before Batlejka and will talk with puppets and audience. The message to children of an adult "correct" estimation of scenic event and coordination of a course of performance with activity of an audience enters in his function.
Batlejka has two-storeyed structure. It has symbolical sense because people live on the first floor, and on second there will be angels. Histories from the Bible will be also played on the second floor.
This year our Children's puppet theatre begins to work on departure to Children's hospices and hospitals. It is a good opportunity of social support of ill children. Due to mobility of the theatre the collective of theatre is capable to carry out performances in a province, in hospital chambers or in other special conditions.
