NSD Children’s Theater Workshop
The National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi in collaboration with SACH held a month long theater workshop (13th May- 13th June, 2010) for children at the SACH cultural complex under the supervision of Salim Arif from Mumbai.
The centre-piece of the workshop was the production of a play ‘Shantigee Shayon’. It is an interesting culmination of a rather peculiar tie-up between NSD, a national institution of theatre, and SACH, an institution of visual arts. Perhaps it was NSD’s yearn for greener pastures that brought SACH into the theater scenario, quite out of way of its usual activity of murals, painting, sculpture, wood carving, ceramics and clay modelling. Nonetheless, it was a challenging task for all those at SACH to engage in the month long children’s theater workshop which NSD had entrusted to SACH in full confidence and zeal. The response from the children participating at the workshop, with full support of their parents, was overwhelming. They learn dance, martial arts, clay modelling, singing, meditation and theater in one go. The dark monsoon clouds hovering overhead, the incessant rain and the social turmoil in the State did not deterred the enthusiasm of the children. They were one in their play, learning the ropes together. The message of the play is very much relevant to us all- “We want peace. Let us shun violence and lead the life of peaceful co-existence”.
Workshop Director Salim Arif noted : ”The purpose of a workshop with children is to provide them with an opportunity to explore aptitude in areas which generally have little or no space in their regular academic curriculum. The month long exploration with exposure to acting, dance, music, visual and plastic arts inculcates awareness about performing arts in them besides generating passionate interest in Theatre as a composite art form. The purpose of the workshop is not to create actors, dancers. It is the use of theatre as a medium or tool of engaging the faculties of the youngsters which makes these workshops quite relevant in their overall growth. It stimulates their young curious minds to work in a non formal environment. The presentation of a play at the culmination of these four weeks provides an added incentive for these children to be on stage in a performance situation. The ability to work in a team as responsible individuals becomes an important part of learning for these participants”.
Artists Camps, Training programmes
SACH proposes to tie up with national and regional institutions like Lalit Kala Kendra, New Delhi; Victoria Museum, Kolkata; Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolka~ North East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur; etc. in hosting artists’ camps and training programmes at the regional and national level. SACH also proposes to approach the Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India for organization of similar programme .
State level Workshop on Women Artisans
SACH proposes to organize a State level workshop on Women Artisan of Manipur with support from the Department of Art & Culture, Manipur and the North East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur during the current financial year 2012-2013.