The Indian Institute of Educational Theatre and Rangayana will be jointly organising a six-day-long National Children’s Theatre Festival in Mysuru from September 19 to 24.
The festival will feature plays performed by adults for children, plays performed by children for children, a book fair, educational theatre conference, exchange of ideas on children’s literature and mural exhibition.
Sharing details of the festival, noted theatre personality Prasanna, who is steering the Indian Institute of Educational Theatre, has emphasised the importance of drawing away the present generation of children from the mobile screens and awaken creativity in their minds through theatre activities.
Theatre troupes, theatre experts and special representatives from different parts of the country have been invited for the festival, which will be held simultaneously in the theatres of Kirurangmandira, Rangayana’s Bhoomigeeta and at Natana.
“The aim of this movement is to protect the child’s sensitivity and joy of learning which is right now marred by the extreme book load, test load, and over-intellectual pressure that have plagued the education sector,” said a statement by the organisers.
Veteran sarod player Pandit Rajeev Taranath will inaugurate the National Children’s Rangotsav on September 18 on the premises of the Indian Institute of Educational Theatre in Hardwicke School premises. Each day of the festival will be dedicated to the memory of personalities with contribution to theatre viz. G.P. Rajaratnam, C.G. Krishnaswamy, A.S. Murthy, Prabhushankar, Vaidehi, T.P. Kailasam and Srikantesh Gowda.
On September 19, at 11 a.m., in the gallery of Kirurangamandira theatre, renowned artist N.S. Harsha will inaugurate the art exhibition “Images of Imagination”. Mohan Agashe, a veteran actor and academic theatre expert, will inaugurate the drama festival in the same theatre at 5 p.m. on that day.
From September 19 to 24, plays for adults will be performed daily at 3.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Kirurangamandira theatre. Among others, the Hindi drama ‘Tothochan’ which focuses on children’s learning, ‘Hunkaro’ a Marwari language drama which has won the most awards in the Mahindra Excellence Award and Kannada play ‘Kuppallipatta’ will be performed, the statement said adding that a total of 21 plays will be performed for children
Senior artist Dwarkanath will be inaugurating an exhibition of the international drama posters at the Lankesh Gallery in Rangayana.
Former Minister Rani Sathish will inaugurate the drama festival of Bhoomigeetha, where dramas performed by children for children will be held at 3 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. every day. A Kannada play, “Neeli Kudure”, performed by the blind children will be the highlight of the programmes here. On the 24th, a children’s Yakshagana performance called Veera Abhimanyu will entertain the audience.
There will be performances from September 22 to 24 at 3 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. at the Natana in Ramakrishna Nagar, said the statement.
A ‘National Colloquium’ on Children’s Theatre will be held on September 20 and 21 at Dasaprakash Paradise Hotel. Swedish educational theatre experts Lena Fredel, Lise Helstrom Signingson, Zach Oyan will participate in the event, where renowned actors and teachers of the country will also participate.
On September 23, a seminar on “Children’s Drama Literature in Kannada” will be held at Rangayana with K. Marulasiddappa presiding over the event and Rajendra Chenni delivering the main address while Geetha Ramanujam will inaugurate the ‘Kathe Kelona Banni’ program for children at 11.00 a.m. at Sriranga Hall, Rangayana.
A mural exhibition will be held in the heritage building opposite Ramya restaurant in Mysuru city. Apart from this, a book fair, an art exhibition will be organised in the gallery of Kirurangamandira on September 23 and 24, the organisers said.
More information about the National Children’s Theatre Festival contact: 9108800127 and visit www.Indiantheatrefoundation.org
