Shadow theatre as a creative, expressive, and collaborative activity in preschool and higher education is the main focus of this thesis. The theoretical part presents the development of theatre art, the history and types of puppets, the characteristics of shadow theatre, and the importance of puppets as a didactic tool in the educational process. Special attention is given to the role of the preschool teacher or mentor in planning, motivating, guiding, and evaluating puppet activities. Findings from the literature show that puppets enable children to express themselves more safely, encourage imagination, communication, social relationships, and creativity, and represent an important connection between play, learning, and artistic expression.
The empirical part is based on the descriptive method of pedagogical research. Data were collected through active participation and observation of two shadow theatre projects: one in a preschool group of children aged four to six, and the other in a group of Preschool Education students attending the Puppetry course at the Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana. In the preschool setting, the project Two for Me, One for You was carried out, in which children gradually developed their own shadow theatre performance through play, exploration, and puppet making. At the university level, the project Wings of Hope was conducted, where students created a performance based on the myth of Daedalus and Icarus through a longer creative process.
The results of the research showed that shadow theatre positively influences creativity, cooperation, and expression in both children and students, although the creative process differs between the two groups. In children, the process is more spontaneous, playful, and connected to exploration and symbolic play, while in students it is more structured, reflective, and focused on the development of professional and artistic competences. In both educational environments, an important role is played by the mentor or preschool teacher, who encourages participation and creates a safe and stimulating environment for expression through planning, organization of space, motivation, and adaptation of activities. Shadow theatre represents an important pedagogical and artistic tool that supports the holistic development of the individual and encourages creative collaboration in different educational settings.
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