ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
The programme in Educational and Therapeutic Puppet Theatre at NATFA “Kr. Sarafov” is fundamental, modern and innovative for Bulgaria.
The main goal of the Programme is to educate and to form competences and skills so that the graduated students are able to transform the theoretical and practical knowledge from diverse disciplines into a puppet-theatre act with initially established educational and therapeutic effects.
The Programme focuses on the accumulated knowledge during the study period and includes it as a key element in the creation of the puppet theatre performance with educational or therapeutic dimensions. The programme in Educational and Therapeutic Puppet Theatre includes a wide variety of additional practical activities, such as observations, experiments, debates, meetings with pedagogues, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and others.
The Programme is open also to students who have graduated from other higher education institutions in Bulgaria, or abroad. In these cases, students follow up a tailor-made schedule with increased number of credits from elective subjects, recommended by the Head of the programme. Additional courses improve the knowledge and skills in the field of puppet specificity.
DURATION AND GRADUATION
1-year Program (2 semesters), full-time study
Students graduate with a diploma project, consisting of theoretical and practical parts.
QUALIFICAION AND PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Graduates acquire professional qualification “Actor-specialist in the educational and therapeutic theatre” and the educational qualification degree “Master of Arts”.
Graduates could work as professionals in:
Creative pedagogical activities
– theatre organisations /children`s theatre schools, studios and other/
– higher education institutions, specialized in theatre art
Educational activities
– in all institutions for children’s education for preschool age
– in elementary/primary schools
Social activities
– in all structures and organizations, whose activities are directed to disadvantaged children
Psychotherapeutic activities
-in all structures and organizations whose activities are directed to people /children and adults/ with disabilities.
The graduates could also continue their education to pursue the educational scientific degree “Doctor of Arts”.
ADMISSION EXAM
Stage 1
The application package includes a research project in the field of education and therapy with puppets. The project needs to be elaborated by the applicant in advance.
The application documents also include creative documentation, which presents the applicants’ professional interests and previously completed projects.
Purpose: Learning about the candidates’ interests and potential in the chosen field.
Stage 2 (anonymous, written)
The candidates write on a topic about the problems connected to the specificity of art-therapy and in the contemporary therapeutic practices.
Duration: 4 hours
Purpose: Understanding the candidates’ creative potential, general and theatre knowledge, aesthetic attitude/values and ability for logical and abstract/creative thinking.