Teatrzyk Raz-dwa-trzyk presents puppet theatre performances and stories with live music. The form of the performances, based on the principles of Maria Kownacka’s knot theatre, derives from the tradition of home theatres and children’s games. The theatre puppets are created in front of the audience. The interactive formula of the performances encourages children to sing and play together, supported by fragments of traditional songs and children’s games used in the shows. The youngest audience members discover the sounds of traditional old instruments: harmonium, ocarina, baraban, frame drum, violin and others. They can also hear clay birds, pipes, clappers, bells and rain sticks. The scripts of the performances use texts by well-known and respected authors of children’s literature (Maria Kownacka, Ewa Szelburg-Zarembina, Janina Porazińska), as well as folk tales, stories and string and finger puppet stories.
Performers
Agnieszka Kontny – cultural studies specialist, Africanist, actress, storyteller and puppeteer. She completed her MA studies in cultural studies at the Faculty of Modern Languages of the University of Warsaw, specialising in African studies. She is a graduate of the Study of Education and Theatre Techniques in Toruń. She is currently a postgraduate Art Therapy student at AHE University in Łódź under Professor Wiesław Karolak. For over 20 years, she has been creating content for children – theatre performances, stories and poetry. Since 2011, she has led the Teatrzyk Raz-dwa-trzyk artistic group, which creates puppet and music performances for children. The performances incorporate fragments of traditional songs and children’s games. The repertoire includes numerous stories, including string stories.
The artist has many years of extensive experience in organising and leading artistic workshops for children and young people as part of numerous projects carried out in cooperation with public benefit organisations (Fundacja Sto Pociech, Fundacja Przystanek Twórczość, Fundacja Bullerbyn, Grupa Studnia O, Wszystkie Mazurki Świata, Tabor Rodzinny in Zawadka Rymanowska). In 2012, she incorporated string stories into her artistic work and has continued to develop them ever since. Since 2014, she has been a member of the International String Figure Association. Through her performances and workshops, she promotes the tradition of string stories and string figures.
She is also active on social media, promoting theatrical creativity and the art of storytelling for children, which allows her to reach a wide audience. This initiative was recognised in the Bajarz 2025 competition and received a distinction for bringing the string world of fairy tales to life and promoting creativity in building relationships through storytelling, theatre and play among children, young people and adults.
In 2022, the publication “A String Figure Collection from Poland” by Stephan Claassen was released, created in collaboration with the artist (“Bulletin of the International String Figure Association”, vol. 29, pp. 23–57). Since 2026, she has been developing her original method of applying string figures in education, therapy and children’s development – KONTNY STRING CONNECTIONS™, based on string storytelling.
Katarzyna Szurman – harmonium player, violinist and composer. Creator of the Czarne Motyle band, performing interwar dance music. Arranger and musician in the SenJawaZabawa project – lullabies from the past. Creator of the “Tańcograjka” activities for children, inspired by Polish traditional music.
Katarzyna Żytomirska – ethnologist. Writer. For many years, she has co-led music and dance activities for children based on traditional culture, “Tańcograjka”. Author of the fairy tale and play based on it, “Wstydek-Bajtek i drewniane ludki”. She sings in the Śliczne Goździki band. Together with Piotr Pardela, she co-creates the travelling “Teatr Echa”.
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Photo: Momenttika Fotografia
