ISLAMABAD: With the aim to revive the dying art of puppetry in the country, Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) will be holding a free puppet show for children here at its auditorium tomorrow. The show was scheduled four times a month as regular feature by National Puppet Theatre (NPT) of PNCA which was established in 1978 and has been showcasing the skills of its puppeteers comprising vibrant costumed puppets presenting folk tales, skits, regional dances and national songs to provide infotainment to audiences of every age group. A senior official of PNCA told APP the shows were theme based that usually revolved around current issues including health, education and environment to educate the audience especially children through infotainment. He said that these shows were being staged four times a month with two shows in Liaqat Hall Rawalpindi and two shows at PNCA Islamabad after thorough practice that was being carried out on daily basis in our studios. Official while commenting on the importance of this art said that preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and traditional values helped boost the confidence of the younger generation. To a question, he said that the performers in these shows were contractual employees of PNCA who have received especial trainings in this art. “These artists were not only trained in Pakistan, but they have also been sent abroad by PNCA for different professional training including singing and dances”, he added. The official said apart from performing for PNCA these artists were also hired by different public and private organizations such Lok Virsa, educational institutions and other entertainment companies. The puppet shows have become a regular feature of PNCA due to overwhelming response from public as children along with parents come to attend the show which was free of cost and halls were jammed packed in every show. Besides keeping the ancient art of puppetry alive, these shows were a great way to promote culture and traditions among the children with the references to their folk legacies.