| Festival brings street theatre to residents’ doorsteps |
27th Apr 2013
|
 | 
A scene from Death of Humanity.
esides promoting theatre in the region, the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi has been actively organising theatre festivals in an around Chandigarh for the last eight years. It is also the first in the region to have organised festivals of socially relevant plays in different villages around Chandigarh. The earlier editions of the festival were well received and it generated awareness regarding different issues facing our society.
The Akademi is organising the 6th Annual street play festival, Theatre at Your Doorsteps, being held in various private societies, housing complexes and other residential areas of Chandigarh.
Kamal Tewari, Chairman, Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi, told Guardian20, "Most people living in different societies don't get time to come to an auditorium or a specific place to enjoy theatre. There may be keenness among people but transportation, time or distances pose as hindrances. Our motto behind this festival is to promote theatre in the region as well spread awareness on various social issues."
Tewari further said, "Theatre is a blend of different art forms but it has not been given its due. The market of television is vast but I must say that there is no dearth of talent in theatre. We want to generate this awareness among masses that theatre is a traditional art form and they must actively participate in it and take it up as a profession. Theatre is a subject at few institutes but it should be introduced as a subject at primary levels as well."
The plays that have been enacted during the festival are Paryawaran Ka Vinash, Paani Paani Re, Ye Kaisi Vidai, Hey Bhagwan, Death of Humanity, Toaa, Samaj and four of these have been enacted at two different locations — Amrita Sher-Gil, Oriental Bank & Tribune Society, Sector-48A, and Kendriya Vihar Owners Welfare Association Society, Sector-48B.
A scene from Hey Bhagwan
Theatre is such a powerful medium that it has been used for ages to express various concerns at national and international levels. Tewari said, "It's never on the agenda of political parties to promote art and culture though they use it as a tool to promote their politics. Governments are taking and implementing ad hoc decisions but there is no policy for the promotion of art and culture like other policies for sports or education. It is very important that qualified people who are from the field must run the departments."
This year, the idea behind organising a festival of 12 socially relevant street plays in different localities/societies where residents can view the performances at a convenient time was to break the barrier of status.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment