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Click here to view pictures of NalandaWay children preparing for the festival. |
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| Children to perform concert on child labour |
A GROUP of children are all set to create magic in the air,but not the magic that consists of sorcery, broomsticks and cauldrons.
Less than a month from now, 46 children from different parts of the State and Andhra Pradesh, brought together by city-based nonprofit organisation, Nalandaway Foundation, would be performing a percussion concert in the city.
At a rehearsal held at Dakshina Chitra here on Sunday, the children, some of whom have been rescued after being trafficked and others, who come from financially deprived backgrounds, were evidently having the time of their lives. Music pounded the air and the solid stone
floor of the activity centre,
as the ‘parai’, ‘thudumbu’,
‘thappu’ were struck with intense
enthusiasm.
The mime-musical centres
around the theme - child
labour. It tells the story of
four children who manage to
escape from their employers.
On the way, they spot a
poster for the concert and decide
to peep in. “The aim of this project is
to let children express and
vent out all their anger, grief
and frustration towards society
through music and drama,” said G Brahmanathan,
who heads the project.
Children from the school
run by V Uma Shankar (son
of percussionist Vikku
Vinayakaram), who is also
coordinating the music for
the show, learnt sign language
to be able to communicate
with children with
hearing disability, who are
also taking part in the concert.
Trainers, S Saminathan
from Coimbatore, R Velumurgan
from Madurai and a
teacher from the CSI School
for the deaf and dumb, have
been training the children
for over a month.
“It was a challenge to coordinate
the music because
there are so many groups of
children playing different instruments.
To harmonize the sound of them all and weave
the story into it was difficult
but immensely enjoyable,” Uma Shankar said.The initiative is being
funded by UNICEF and a
number of other international
and national donors.
Though some parents were
reluctant to send their children,
as they had already
been through traumatising
experiences, Nalandaway
managed to convince them. |
| - New Indian Express (27 Oct, 2008) |
Celebrating children
A festival to showcase what children are capable of NalandaWay Foundation, a creative media NGO that works with nearly 4,000 marginalised children in seven States, organises a children’s festival, “Art, arattai, aarpattam”. The event is being held in partnership with UNICEF between N ovember 14 and December 7.Some highlights of the festival are a concert by the NalandaWay Children’s Music Band,featuring ace drummer Sivamani on November 15, 7 p.m., at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall, Lady Andal School premises. The children performing in the concert have been rescued from bonded labour, slavery and trafficking.
Among the in-school events during the festival are street plays, story-telling sessions and discussions to help communicate issues that concern them. These will provide an opportunity for children from fortunate homes to understand and empathise with issues faced by deprived children.
NalandaWay children’s group will also perform street plays in various parks across the city.These performances are open to all and will be on issues concerning children. The works of rescued children, who have been trained in painting, photography, sculpture making, installations,rustic art, posters, will be displayed at The Madras Terrance House. This venue will also see
seminars conducted on issues faced by children.Children mentored by eminent artist and art director Thotta Tharani will express their ideas
through art, illustrations and messages. Graffiti will be painted by children on the outer wall of the US Consulate, Chennai November 29 and 30.
Sharing ideas
A mobile audio recording booth will travel across the city to schools, communities, public spaces, and residential quarters, providing an opportunity for children to share ideas on how to keep their streets, homes and the city clean and safe.
NalandaWay Children’s Street Theatre Group will perform on November 29 at the Russian Cultural Centre. Children’s films will be screened on nine days, including short films made by NalandaWay children.
NalandaWay, in partnership with AID India and Growing Opportunity, will conduct ‘Story telling and Story writing’ competitions for children in 2,700 villages across 17 districts in Tamil Nadu and over 200 neighbourhoods and schools in Chennai.
For details, call 98844-99196 or 99625-25286. |
| - The Hindu (06 Oct, 2008) |
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