Once again, the National School of Drama is back with the 12th edition of Jashn e Bachpan, scheduled to be held from November 2 to 14, and this year, with a line-up of 25 plays in 9 Indian languages from 14 States, it promises to deliver a fortnight of brilliant theatre for children yet again. Each play has been selected carefully from the 127 plays that came to the screening committee from all over the country. Among many others, this year’s performances include “James Aur Ek Gaint Peach” from Maharashtra, “Namaskar ji Namaskar” from Bihar, “Apunbna Pangalni” from Manipur and “Thathamaram” (The Parrot Tree) from Kerala and “Hum Ek Hain” from Uttar Pradesh.
Dedicated to making the festival more inclusive and relevant across the country, NSD has also roped in the Zonal Cultural Centres this year, to ensure wider regional support and participation.
Organised by NSD’s second performing wing, Sanskaar Rang Toli (Theatre-in-Education Company), every year Jashn e Bachpan treats the city’s children to the best in theatre, bringing to them plays and performances from across the country and establishing both the importance and the need for theatre in their lives. Established in 1989, this is Sanskaar Rang Toli’s silver jubilee year. The group consists of adult actors working with and for children, using the active means of theatre rather than the conventional passive methods to increase the reach and scope of education. “Children theatre is the need of the hour as it is important in shaping up a child’s personality, confidence, vision and sensitivity as an artist and also a healthy citizen. Children theatre is a very important part of theatrical experience and it’s time we should include theatre as part of the curriculum,” says Waman Kendre, NSD Director.
Apart from Jashn e Bachpan, the Toli also organises summer workshops on self development and social integration, the Sunday Club for devising original performances with children, workshops with teachers on effective teaching-learning process and Bal Sangam, a festival held every alternate year, where children belonging to families of Indian folk and other traditional arts from different regions of the country showcase their skills.
For the last 25 years, Sanskaar Rang Toli has staged over 1200 shows and 350 workshops catering to more than 11 lakhs children apart from college students, teachers, parents and theatre lovers across the world. Expanding its scope to include countries outside India, the Toli has also held performances in Poland, China, Philippines and Japan. Associated with the Toli are also renowned directors like late B.V. Karanth, Barry John, Mohan Agashe, Wolfgang Kolneder and Tripurari Sharma.
Jashn e Bachpan tries every year to ensure maximum participation of child performers, adult performers and experts in the field. This year, the festival also launches a new initiative, one that aims to include as audience not just the children of the privileged strata of the society as audiences but also underprivileged children. For every show, NSD is going to invite the maximum number of children with the help of various NGOs from Delhi-NCR.
For its silver jubilee year, the Toli is also organising its first ever three-day seminar during the festival. This educational seminar, titled, ‘Theatre for children; who’s need is it?’, will be held from November 12 to 14 and will be attended by known theatre personalities like Rudraprasad Sengupta, Feizal Alkazi, Kanchan Sontakke and Bansi Kaul.
As another highlight from this year’s edition of Jashn e Bachpan, all the genres of theatre for and with children will be included. The plays will be staged at multiple venues within the NSD campus, including Abhimanch, Bahumukh and NSD Open Lawns. and will include works of such directors as Swatilekha Sengupta, K.G. Krishnamurthy, Laique Hussain, Bhagirathi, Jayati Bose, Danish Iqbal, Goutam Gope and Parthapratim Deb.
The festival will be inaugurated by Shripad Yasso Naik, Minister of Tourism and Culture, on November 2 at Abhimanch.
