A new summer festival takes a relook at children's activities and puts fun ahead of competition
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In a world bursting with corporate jargon, the drive for result orientation doesn't end at the workplace. While schoolwork comes with its own pressures to score high marks, even summer camps and hobby classes tend to culminate in performances and tests as proof for parents that they were worth their time and money. Amidst this regimented "fun", however, the real joy of doing something for the first time evaporates before kids even know it.
It is with this aim of putting fun back in the summer vacation that actor, director and writer Rohit Tiwari and wife Sheetal R, who is a language, speech and drama instructor, have organised Ho Gayi Chhutti, a 10-day festival, the first edition of which starts this Friday.
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"Till the time the child is burdened with the pressure of performance and the ensuing competitiveness, they will not learn. When fun and recreation is all there is to a creative pursuit, learning follows automatically," says Tiwari.
The line-up for the festival has been curated to spark children's imagination, expose them to the arts and reduce their dependence on technology. Tiwari, for instance, will conduct a radio play workshop, where eight- to 10-year-olds will create their own characters and use regular items for sound effects to record an audio story. "Children today are exposed to multiple visual media such that their imagination takes a backseat and the brain gets lazy. Because we can see things, we take them for granted. But how would you 'show' someone walking down the stairs using just sound? With a gentle nudge, kids can come up with the most fascinating solutions," he explains.
A session by Gillo Repertory
Workshops to help kids build their vocabulary will encourage them to weave stories around new words, while a storytelling performance, Orochi & Kaalia, by noted artiste Anita Salim will expose them to the world of mythology. "Orochi is a Japanese mythological dragon, while Kaalia is the multi-headed snake from the tales of Lord Krishna. Though they are from different cultures, they could be woven together for certain commonalities," she says.
Sheetal R and Rohit Tiwari
Summer Tunes by Gillo Theatre Repertory is a new initiative to expose children to a rich variety of music. Classical vocalist Sriparna Chatterjee and music composer and multi instrumentalist Janit Temkar will conduct it. "Most kids listen to electronic music these days. The idea is to spark their interest in different genres by making them accessible. Only then can we expect them to build deeper connections with music," says the repertory's artistic director, Shaili Sathyu.
Sign up for workshops to help children appreciate resources by showing them how to up-cycle broken toys or pencil stubs, while Project Mess will deal with how school projects can be made without being wasteful. Each day will end in plays for both children and adults.
From: April 27 to May 1; May 2 to May 6, 9 am onwards
At: OverAct Alternative Theatre Space, Aram Nagar Part 2, Versova.
Call: 9820468797
Cost: Rs 250 (plays) Rs 1,500 (workshops; art material if required is additional)
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