The gradual alteration in the age of the Shadow Theatre’s audience, that had already been noticed in the 50s by a gradual shift towards a younger audience and the parallel loss of its adult one, which until then constituted the main body of its audience, moulds a new landscape in the process of its production and transmission as well as in its substance.
The educational and pedagogical dimension that Shadow Theatre acquired mainly from the 80s-on, when school text-books of compulsory education began to include related texts, can be considered as an extension of that course. Following the same idea, pedagogic schools, mainly of preschool education, incorporate in their curriculums subjects related to Shadow Theatre and its exploitation inside the school.
In this way, Karagkiozis was turned into a useful means of approaching many of the folk culture’s facets and a threshold for creative activities of various aims (aesthetic, linguistic etc) to be developed. Thus, with the active participation of educators and students in many schools, cultural projects on the theme of Karagkiozis are realized. By doing this, students are given the opportunity to approach history, literature, fairytale, as well as the particular characteristics of Shadow Theatre, in a different way. They can make their own Shadow Theatre character’s figures and practice at writing scripts which can then be presented in school plays. Often, on the occasion of shows (e.g. heroic drama during national days), the presentation of shows belonging to the folk repertoire is attempted, fact that leads to the emergence of student-creators, along with the student-audience of Karagkiozis.
The constantly increasing student’s contact with this particular theatrical genre adds an educational dimension to Shadow Theatre’s identity and creates new generations that know and cherish it, something especially positive for its future progress. As a result of its educational dimension, professional Karagkiozopektes emphasize on the educative role of their art and are frequently invited at schools to put up shows and give lectures or seminars. In the field of research, meetings and conventions on the Shadow Theatre’s educative role are also organized, postgraduate papers and doctoral thesis are elaborated while the relevant bibliography is being constantly enriched.
The recording and sorting of the school activities will prove the way and the extent to which students understand it. Furthermore, it will contribute in boosting the students´ and educators´ interest in the particular genre and its further exploitation in education while constituting valuable tool for scientific research.
