Families gathered at Playground 278 in Marine Park on Saturday, July 27th, to make creative puppets and learn about another culture’s mythology.
Throughout the summer season, the Marine Park Alliance (MPA) has hosted a Summer Children’s Series, known as “Just for Kids,” for families to engage with the community and enjoy the surroundings of beautiful Marine Park.
Saturday’s event, “Sea Spirits Puppet Show,” was curated by Fatima Sambo Schoenfelder, master puppeteer, children’s book author and illustrator.
Schoenfelder, who works at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre in Central Park and is also the founder and artistic director of Skylark Arts Studio, combines traditional children’s literature with a masterwork of puppetry. Through joyful performances, she displays a command of the marionette puppetry craft for an audiences of all ages.
Sea Spirits focuses on one of Ghana’s nautical myths, Kofi the Fisherman, a myth that is about humility and boundaries and explains why Ghanaians do not fish on Tuesdays.
Kofi is the best fisherman in Ghana and is not humble about it. As such, because he is the best and can catch more fish than everybody else, he thinks he can rest whenever possible. However, one day, because he rested too much, he decided to fish on a Tuesday, a day forbidden for fishing, as Tuesday is the day for the ocean to rest and replenish its resources. Kofi chooses to ignore this, but soon enough, he learns why this law is essential.
“I wanted to bring the things that I love – my culture, my family and puppetry – together in this one production,” said Schoenfelder. “I thought about it in terms of the story behind people not working on Tuesdays and leaving the ocean to rest, so that we can have something to go back to. I feel that it’s a great idea for me to be able to share my own culture, being of Ghanaian descent, and being in a space where New York is all about diversity and sprinkling a little more diversity.”
“It was very entertaining,” said parent Dana Brown of Flatbush. “It was also enlightening to learn more about the Ghanaian culture and to understand how they are supposed to respect the ocean, especially on Tuesday.”
Events such as these allow the community’s youth to come together and learn and grow.
“We brought Fatima back from last year’s wonderful event,” said Margot Perron, MPA board member. “Her craft is exceptional, her educational basis is wonderful, and her connection with the kids is terrific.”
The next Just for Kids event – “Nature Arts & Crafts” – will be held at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 4th, at the Salt Marsh Nature Center, located at East 33rd Street and Avenue U. The Urban Park Rangers’ Nature Adventure Guides will teach families how to make fun animals they can take home.
